Ballmer: Linux Bigger Competitor than Apple

[Dapper Dan]

I'm not comfortable with how they say "Linux" and "piracy" in the same sentence. Intended or not, I think it can potentially lead the less informed to believe they are the same sort of thing.

Ballmer: Linux Bigger Competitor than Apple

[jayd512]

I agree. Whether or not it was intentional it could lead to some confusion similar to what we saw in the Helios Blog about the teacher.

[rokytnji]

Whether or not it was intentional

Maybe I'm a simpleton, but it sure as hell looks deliberate/intentional to me. I always wanted to be a pirate when I was a kid though. Yaar.

[gerard4143]

I'm not comfortable with how they say "Linux" and "piracy" in the same sentence.[/url]

Whatever they say Linux is free...Linux is open...Linux gives you the power to go as far as you can go...Gerard4143

[dijetlo]

I think the sub context here is.
He was talking to investors. CEOs' will tell them people anything to keep them writing those checks. The reason piracy is important is because Ballmer and Microsoft are going to put an end to it (just as soon as they figure out how), which means all those swash-bucklers will have to buy a copy of Wind'rs Vista at full price, no upgrades, just as soon as they get the "how" part in hand. That's a lot of nickle CDs' rolling out the door at a C-Note each.
In the emerging markets, Apple is a dead stick. The third world is where most of the new operating systems are going to be installed, there Microsoft is only going to compete against Linux and Piracy, which is gonna end...real soon.
So what can a rational rich person do but buy more Microsoft stock? We're almost recession proof!
Two. Steve Ballmer would tell you Ipods cause herpes if he thought you'd believe it. I'm not saying he's a bad man, that's his job, make Microsoft = Win.

[elija]

I think the sub context here is.
He was talking to investors. CEOs' will tell them people anything to keep them writing those checks.

I think it's more subtle than that. If you use two concepts together often enough people will come to associate them subconsciously. It won't affect everyone but enough will be affected to guarantee that the juxtaposition takes hold. I call it the proximity effect because I don't know what it is really called.

You can't blame Ballmer though, he's just defending his wealth

[cousinlucky]

Although I would enjoy writing a parable on my website about my forced journey from windows xp to suse 10 to ubuntu 8.04 detailing the mental anguish and financial outlay of trying to plug up the " holes " in microsoft products I refrain from doing so because Linuxforums would have to deal with more complete computer illiterates like myself.

It is called " marketing " but all it is is public deception. In a perfect would it would be a felony for Ballmer to engage in it.

[oz]

It is called " marketing " but all it is is public deception.

lol... it's sad that the term marketing has come to this, but trickery and deception certainly seems to apply these days, and it's freely allowed, and is apparently accepted and bought into by a huge chunk of our society. I'm personally very leery of it all, and tend to examine every advertisement with a fine-toothed comb right before putting the magnifying glass to it. Even then, I wonder what I might have missed.

Hopefully, things will change for the better, but we shall see.