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Story: Linux: The forking fight-back

Posted by: Anonymous (Sunday 6 February 2005, 6:13 PM)

The same problem could happen with Microsoft as they differentiate their products. After all, so far their current version english of MS-Word can't interoperate flawlessly with localized versions of the same software. If you consider slightly different versions, or other platforms than x86 the situation is even worse.

If they can't have their office suite to interoperate with itself how can we expect that various versions of their server software will work together. Not to mention that they simultaneously supports several separate product lines like win2k, win2003 server, XP, and soon Longhorn all slightly different. On top of that we haver various other software such as Exchange, IIS, SQL Server. If you need to upgrade one component, my experience is that you will need to upgrade all the rest, giving lots and lots of headaches.

My guess is that most LInux distros are far more interoperable with themselves and other Linux and unix systems with or without LSB than Microsft manages to be within their own product lines. The GPL factor keepls Linux inline regardless of standards. If one Linux finds some new amazing way of doing things, it will be all over the marketplace as he is required by GPL to share with his competitors.

The only thing that he can keep secret is upgrade and support procedures he runs in his office and it is such difference that makes him competitive, but such differences seldom affects the interoperability of software at the customer location.