Judge: Microsoft must give states Windows code

If the winmodem source code is released, I'm buying the beer at The Armpit (near Raleigh, NC). It won't do me much good personally, but it'll piss off Sir Bill. Methinks that Robotics, Zoom, et al will do all kinds of constructive things with it. Interesting times ahead -- stay tuned. ;D

[Compunuts]

The fact of the matter is that Office is a decent features rich piece of software ( although it's overly bloated with 346 MB of space for an office suite - Standard - and over 650 MB with many add-in's ). Just because it's made by some evil OS company doesn't mean all software are bad. I like Visio pretty much ( even before they are bought out by M$ ) and I've yet to see any Linux package come close to that one.

What I think is that Operating Systems software is very much different from Application software and middleware. OSes should always be open, stable and well written. That's why I don't mind paying for an OS as long as it's free and opensourced.
For applications, I don't really mind a close source ( except those emulation piece of crap - IBM Websphere HTML Editor > ) software as long as it runs natively. And the software as features rich as MS Office can be a good thing for Linux. I'm the business professional who use Office inside and out. There is a good reason why Lotus Smart Suite was beaten by M$ Office. Lotus's was just plain :.

Finally, opening Windows source will be a good thing for many software developers ( outside of M$ development team ) as well as many users. Porting M$ office will also help those crappy Office suite offering in Linux to a good battle ground for innovation and advancement. And THAT will makes Linux compete in corporate environment and variable solution.

[agar]

ok so there showing there code to some states to prove explorer can't be removed right? Thats a long way off from porting office to linux. BTW I would love ms office in linux.

[TaeShadow]

Back when I used Windows 2000, it crashed at least 4 or 5 times. *I would consider that unstable. *An operating system should not crash, period.

Back when I used Windows 2000, it crashed at least 4 or 5 times. *I would consider that unstable. *An operating system should not crash, period.

Consider an AS/400. These things just can't crash.

[Ashcrow]

they make good software
their OS just sucks

Win2000 is more stable, but it does blue screen.

I never got the blue screen using Windows 2000. I did get the rainbow screen and problems with drivers (namely soundcard). WinXP BSOD a good amoutn of the time.

A friend of mine use to live near Redmond and had some friends who worked for MS. He's been in the compound more than a few times and told me that most of the guys there are kind of wackos. They don't want a desk casue of karma, joke about their work (like in a not cool way), are very emotional as in manic depressive, and they have a lot of High School kids who work/code with them.

Ashcrow: and they use Emacs! Could that be why they are maniaco-depressive?

[Feztaa]

He's been in the compound more than a few times and told me that most of the guys there are kind of wackos. They don't want a desk casue of karma, joke about their work (like in a not cool way), are very emotional as in manic depressive, and they have a lot of High School kids who work/code with them.

Strangely, I am not surprized.

[Ashcrow]

Ashcrow: and they use Emacs! Could that be why they are maniaco-depressive?

Ah, yes! I think we found the reason for their emotional distress!!

[TeRG]

Consider an AS/400. *These things just can't crash.

dos doesnt crash often..if ever...except it crashes after you use fips, but what wouldnt?