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Story: Novell linked to 'Windows cheaper than Linux' statement

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I don't see a mixed message

The reality is that the total cost of ownership for Windows and Linux both vary greatly depending on configurations, workloads, and skillsets. If HSBCs most complex workload is on Linux and its most simplistic workloads are on Windows then it would be no surprise that the costs would be higher on Linux for them. HSBC probably isn't using Linux for basic file serve and print functions where Linux would be dirt cheap compared to Windows. HSBC's total cost of ownership for Linux is what it is and if HSBC is switching to Novell then they obviously expect that to change with their product which is by far the loudest message.

Novell should be hoping Vista doesn't do well because that would benefit their product line. Working with Microsoft products is a fact of life for the majority of software on the market so a deal where they work together occurs on key areas makes sense but it doesn't change the fact that they are competing against each other at the same time. Microsoft has an Office Suite for Mac. Apple creates Quicktime and iTunes for Windows. Novell has Windows software. Microsoft will support Linux in a virtual machine. It isn't really a mixed message... it is a realization that there are mixed environments in the marketplace.

It has been 4 months since the deal was made. In the end I don't think the MS deal will result in anything negative beyond the negative the community creates. There is far more FUD coming out of the mouths of so called supporters of Linux by constantly harping on the Novell-MS deal and how it creates risk than out of the mouths of Novell or MS. Since the deal has MS talked about suing? Nope. Obviously Novell denies a there is an issue. Who keeps bringing up the theoretical negatives? In the end it is incredibly unlikely that MS will do anything because it would hurt their their reputation to be going against the will of the entire technical community. How could MS attack Linux while at the same time selling certificates to customers for it? It would be hard for MS to convince the public that Linux supporters are crooks when those supporters include Novell, IBM, HP, etc, and they are giving it to customers. They would have less backlash going after grandma for using a pirated version of Windows.

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