Re: USA states' proposal to force port of MS Office to free platforms

[Rob Brown-Bayliss <on_the_net clear net nz>]

> The availability of MSOffice on Linux would be a huge deal for the
> trade press; we wouldn't hear the end of it for years.  But I
> think GNU and Linux would be the winners of that news exposure,
> not Microsoft.

If MS was forced to make office available, I imagine they 

a) wont be happy about
b) wont care about
c) would use either wine, or more likely make their own compatability
layer libs...

While I, like you believe that more users means more developer s means
more gnu/open source stuff getting done, I dont think ti applies to this
case.

If all they do is make all windows software work on linux (because that
is probably the easiest way to port office) then you have the same
problem as OS2 did.  No/Few native apps from the developers...

I juts had a thought, they could port the mac office from Mac OSX over I
guess, there would still be a lot of work, but less than the windows I
guess.

But, yeah, this might be enough to make me change my view that
propritory software is acceptable, in fact, it might turn me into an RMS
want-a-be...

Any way, I predict that should the be forced, they port it by a wine
type system and sales a dismal and linux takes a bashing from MS
friendly press...


-- 

  Rob Brown-Bayliss
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