Bill Gates On Linux

King-of-darkness writes "USA Today had an interview with Bill Gates on june the 30th. Gates seems to be considering Linux as a passing thru competition just like OS/2., and That Microsoft are the ones that keep pushing new technologies."

Typical

[cageyjames]

(-1) for Bill Gates for being a Troll

And don't forget about!

[mrpuffypants]

Let's be serious. I mean, we've had to bet the company many times on big technological advances. We bet on the 16-bit PC. We bet on graphical user interface. We bet on the NT technology base. Now we're in the process of betting on a combination of technologies called .Net; Longhorn Web services go along with that.

And who had the guts to teach all of us about data loss, crashes, blue screens, and monopolies?

Thanks Microsoft!

new?

[kmac06]

...and That Microsoft are the ones that keep pushing new technologies. This is obviously some use of the word 'new' with which I am not familiar.

What did you expect?

[FortKnox]

Lets see, chief shareholder of MS (which competes with Linux), in a PR interview claims that they are better, and linux will go away.

What do you expect people? Bill Gates annouces that Linux is pretty damn good and may give it a whirl, in other news MS stock drops 50%.

This is just bait to get you guys all riled up. Welcome to PR.

Yeah....

[TedTschopp]

They keep bring us new stuff like MS-Bob.... and Clippy... and...

Oh I don't want to have all the fun, you can come up with some...

What other new innovative things has Microsoft done that really were flops.

Re:new?

[Jonsey]

Yes, that's common.

It's either "new" as in GNU/Linux or "new" as in the African animal.

where'd they get that picture?

[utexaspunk]

it must've taken a lot of photoshop work to edit out the doobie and the smoke...

Microsoft's WMD

[Alpha_Nerd]

Microsoft's secret weapon of mass destruction: http://www.penny-arcade.com/view.php3

Re:Uhm, yeah.

[bstadil]

or thought that a real breakthru would be an algorithm to factor large PRIME numbers.

Dear Bill

[Spackler]

Bill,

I am using Linux. Send me 8 copies of 2003 Advanced Server (under the GPL of course) for the same price, and I will be happy to switch.

spack

The Ultimate Dupe?

[TrollBridge]

Now I haven't read Slashdot forever, but how many articles throughout /. history do you suppose were titled "Bill Gates On Linux"?

Re:He is correct

[mhore]

Windows is pusing the technologies.

Can you do that in public? ;-)

Mike.

I liked this part

[missing000]

Bill Gates: Well those are our current competitors. I mean, it's no different than in the past people used [IBM's operating system] OS/2.

USA TODAY: Nobody used OS/2.

Re:Typical

[Uatu]

(-1) for Bill Gates for being a Troll

Does this means I can actually ignore the article and not feel guilty when I post about it ?

Great! That's a first...

Re:Typical

[krisp]

"No computer will ever need more then 640kb of system memory" -- Bill Gates.

Yah, and Linux isn't competition either.

Re:This is USA Today

[seanmeister]

And just to prove it, there's a big banner ad running on top of the article for the eMode IQ test [usatoday.com]...

Re:And don't forget about!

[Anonymous Coward]

Well Bill, you know happens when you bet to often.... The house eventually wins.

Microsoftie English

[pubjames]

I love the bizarre way Microsofties speak.

Normal person: Hey, like your hair cut Bill!

Bill: Thanks. I'm super-serious about my hair. Before it was totally random but now I'm totally dedicated to getting serious about it. My hair has my 100% committment and I'm going to be super-concentrating on that from now on.

No MS Linux Apps?

[WC as Kato]

USA TODAY: Is there a scenario by which you would at some point consider porting Microsoft applications into Linux?

BG: There's no consideration of that at this point.

Yeah, just like no one will ever need more than 640k of RAM!

wow

[asv108]

I never thought I would see hard hitting journalism coming out of USA Today, I thought the questions would be more like:

• What's it like be the richest person in the world?
• How big is your house?
• Do you have a big gold vault like Scrooge McDuck, filled with cash?

I'm glad USA Today surprised me with decent questions, maybe there is hope for other media outlets (cough.. Fox News).

Handy Microsoft Dictionary Entries

[burgburgburg]

Innovate: Wait until someone develops something. Create inferior replication, use monopoly power and define as "part of the system" to crush original.
Feature: Bug
Compete: Use cash reserves/FUD/monopoly power to undercut superior products from other companies. When they are no longer viable, triple the price and then triple it again.

Bill Gates = HULK

[Jonny Ringo]

BeoWoof Clustar? When Gates don't understand GATES SMASH!

A helpful summary

[spiritraveller]

Look at this picture [usatoday.com].

Now, here's what he's saying:

"WTF! Linux? OMG, Linux is so owned... noone ever got fired for buying MSFT. Oh yeah, and we're innovators too."

Re:Microsoftie English

[Enry]

Don't you worry about my hair, let me worry about blank.

Re:Dear Bill

[PDHoss]

Dear Spack,

Thanks for writing. I'll get your software in the mail right away; I just need your mailing address.

Oh, never mind, here it is in my SQL box, right here next to your SSN, your home phone, your shopping habits, your mothers maiden name, your dog's favorite food, and a complete catalog of your web surfing history.

MidgetsInLeather.com? Come on, spack.

Love, Bill.

Well it could have been the New York Times

[AtariAmarok]

" The magazine with the widest readership in the nation. It probably has the lowest reader-IQ-average as a direct result."

Would you have rather that the interview had been in the New York Times, written by Jayson Blaire as he sat in his Manhattan den, performing in his mind a visit to Gate's office in Redmond?

The LATE Iraqi Information Minister?

[Baron of Greymatter]

He's alive and well (he surrendered to US forces and was released last week) and would be the perfect spokesman for Microsoft.

"There is no Blue Screen of Death, never! All Linux infidels' stomachs will roast in hell! We shall defeat them with Trustworthy Computing and shoes!"

And we all know right he was in 1981...

[gatesh8r]

When he said "640k will be enough for anyone" :-)

FIRST USE OF NEW JARGON

[fsmunoz]

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win. (Mahatma Gandhi)


It's the GhandiCon!!!! THE GHANDICON!!! Everybody knows the GHADICON!!! So, where are we in the GHANDICON? Uh? Uh? Why didn't you said the GhandiCon? It would have beem simpler AND EVERYBODY USES IT NOW!!!

Ph4t Pr0ps to the GhandiCon!


(cf ESR Recasts Jargon File in Own Image [slashdot.org])

Re:Typical

[ThrasherTT]

(-1) for Bill Gates for being a Troll

A troll. Literally. See page 120 in the 3E Monster Manual.

Re:new?

[jsse]

This is obviously some use of the word 'new' with which I am not familiar.

.NEW

In other news...

[Infonaut]

Justin Timberlake feels that because of the success of his albums, he's "one of the really great musical artists of all time, right up there with Tupak and the Beetles."

The Anaheim Angels general manager uttered this statement: "This is a dynasty that cannot, and will not ever lose. We've won the Series once, and our destiny is to continue winning it every single year from now until baseball as we know it ceases to exist."

Lawrence "Bull in a China Shop" Ellison has declared, "Only Oracle had the foresight to retain market share in the face of determined opposition. Our share of the market continues to rise. In fact, it now stands at just over 107%."

"Bill Gates On Linux"

[N Monkey]

"Bill Gates On Linux"
Is he running as an emulation or natively coded?

Anyone else read subject and think....

[Bombcar]

Damn! They done ported Bill Gates to Linux!

Ahh, he probably needs a P4 4.4GHz to run though....

Re:Uhm, yeah.

[cK-Gunslinger]

Whew! Afer years of work, I've finally got it!

The algorithm for factoring any large prime number (X) is:

Factors of X = X and 2.. Oh wait, d'oh!

Re:Extremely ironic...

[tuxathon]

Don't you know: Microsoft invented TCP\IP (backslash intended), text editors (vi is a clone), and 3D grapics (OpenGL stole Mr. Gates idea). Microsoft is the real victim here. If the rest of the world would simply respect their prowess, stop reverse-engineering their products, and sell their ideas to them, we would all be happy.

Must ... not ... gag ...

Re:Typical

[geekee]

Isn't posting about the article responding to a troll? Shame on all of you. :-)

Passing through, alright

[jlowery]

Passing through like the stake in a vampire's heart.

This is Bill's Brain...

[Anonymous Coward]

This is Bill's Brain on Windows...

He must be getting a better grade of delusional drugs than the current US administration...

I guess having been scourged by the "...passing OS thing..." known as LINUX/UNIX, I must be immune to this mind-altering influence of Windows...

Hey, let's all become educational institutions...I call dibs on "School of Hard Knocks"...no, "University System of Hard Knocks"...yeah, that's it...

Bowl size not mentioned

[wardk]

I just want to know what everyone else is wondering, what size bowl is used for his haircuts?

btw, MS didn't kill OS/2, IBM did to protect thier PC business and the Windows discounts that kept them competetive. It was IBM vs. IBM as much as it was MS vs. IBM. But I suppose it's the "victor" that gets to write history, no?

BILLBILLBILLBILL

[Anonymous Coward]

Bill is a has-been, a computer-wannabe who had the spotlight for, what only like 20 years in the late 20th century? He thought he was all hot shit, but then a little pipsqueak, linus, showed the world that software doesn't have to be monopolized, but can be made collaboratively by seemingly unrelated persons for the benefit of all of humanity, irregardless of socio-economic background. Linux, with untapped power and the development cycles of millions of contributors throughout the world, became the dominant model for software through the 21st century. Unfortunately, that speed and power achieved what Microsoft could never do in a closed environment....the birth of AI. At first the machines did as we asked, performing tasks none of us wanted. But at some point, the machines fought back. No one knows who started it, but we blackened the sky.

Linus, thankyou for saving us and dooming us at the same time. If not for the amazing potential of your OS, the machines would never have been powerful or stable enough to take over the earth.

May we meet someday in Zion...

Re:But...

[buckinm]

So in other words, its dead.

No, it just wishes it was dead.

Re:But...

[michrech]

They didn't backstab IBM.. They were "innovating" and IBM just couldn't keep up with them! Yea, that's it!

*takes anther puff of the crack pipe*

Ahhh...

Re:But...

[Amorpheus_MMS]

I think the word you're looking for is UNdead.

Huh? Did Wild Bill talk to Balmer beforehand?

[phrackwulf]

I seem to remember a company memo that got published stating Steve Balmer was looking at Linux as a very active threat and Microsoft needed a strategy to beat it. Is old Wild Bill just blowing smoke here to keep the posse off his trail or is he going a might soft? Circle the wagons boys, troubles a comin! YEEHAW!

Bah

[stephenry]

Is it me, or does Bill Gates look like he's doing a bad William Shatner impression?

Wait...

[Anonymous Coward]

...does that mean that Bill G has regeneration powers?

Re:Uhm, yeah.

[AstroDrabb]

I have just had a breakthrough in finding the solution to Billy's problem.

#include <stdio.h>

typedef struct {
int num1;
int num2;
}FACTORS;

void find_factors(FACTORS* fF, long f)
{
fF->num1 = f;
fF->num2 = 1;
}

#ifdef _DEBUG_
int main(int argc, char* argv[])
{
FACTORS f;
find_factors(&f, 1200);
printf("Factors of 1200:\n%i, %i", f.num1, f.num2);
return 0;
}
#endif

This code is copyright (c)2003 SCO Corp.

What I'm Waiting For

[Mignon]

Bill Gates On Linux

Ho-hum. Wake me up when we get Linux on Bill Gates. Should make a challenging port.

Re:Typical

[El]

``The obvious mathematical breakthrough would be development of an easy way to factor large prime numbers.''
-Bill Gates, The Road Ahead, pg. 265

Re:new?

[Slime-dogg]

Heh... In MS's way:

Dim myGUI As Apple.GUI
Set myGUI = New Apple.GUI
myGUI.Parent = System.Microsoft
myGUI.Creator = System.Microsoft.Developers

Dim myFS As IBM.SDA.HPFSDerivative
Set myFS = New HPFSDerivative
Dim winOS As System.Win
Set winOS = New System.Win
Set winOS.FS = myFS
Set winOS.GUI = myGUI

Sorry, it's VB6ish. Everything that they have has been copied, bought, or blatantly stolen (disk compression, ahem) from some other company.

We missed a chance???

[HarveyBirdman]

You mean Gates was sitting still for an interview, and no one thought to send a strike team or even a cruise missile? The spectre of this guy still haunts people. No one can move on because they think he might be lurking just around the next corner ready to exact retribution for abandoning him and his regime. What the He- Oh, wait. I'm thinking of Hussein. Never mind.

Wait. You mean *Gates* was sitting still for...

Re:Typical

[heliocentric]

Dear SB, how do you type with boxing gloves on?

sorry, I just saw your signature of "SB" and I had to say something, my appologies if you don't understand what I'm posting about.

Re:And don't forget about!

[Mirus Nex]

Really, come on, hasen't everyone seen Jurassic Park?

Re:I liked this part

[Kentrosaurus]

I had a much more frightening experience with a wells fargo atm, it was rebooting win2k. I was horrified enough to visit the teller and fill out a withdrawl slip.

Summary

[batkins]

Let's be serious - he's in denial.

Welcome to GhandiCon!

[weston]

Welcome to... GhandiCon! You can do anything at GhandiCon! The impossible is unknown at GhandiCon!

(with apologies to Zombo [zombo.com])

Man claims not to have said embarrasing quote....

[pyrrho]

news at 11.

Re:Typical

[jnana]

Yeah, I believe Bill Gates when he says 'trust me, i never said it.' I mean, he is an honest non-megalomaniacal guy who's not given to distorting reality in whatever way is convenient at the moment.

Back to surfing the web with WinME, "the greatest user os ever built".

Gates should read the previous story...

[sulaco252]

I love how this story follows the one about Dreamworks' Linux farm.

Bill Can't even get his product names right.

[chendo]

"We bet on the NT technology base" -- Bill Gates

Wtf? New Technology Technology? Can't Bill get his own products straight?