Free Software Foundation hates Windows 7, wants you to as well
Apple feels threatened by Windows 7. And so, it seems, is the open source brigade. Apple is fighting back by banging on about viruses in its latest ads. While the Free Software Foundation, which obviously supports all open source efforts, is taking a more direct approach.
There are three big operating systems around at the moment: Windows from Microsoft, which comes in a number of different flavors, OS X from Apple, and Linux, which is a generic term for a number of different OSs all developed as open source and available for free. There is obvious competition between the three, and the open source merchants behind Linux are going on the offensive against Windows 7.
Windows 7 is now less than two months away from being released on General Availability, with Oct. 22 the date to put in your diaries. Windows 7 has been garnering almost wholly positive reviews, with the most grudging admitting it’s an improvement on Vista and others touting it as a great leap in terms of usability and features.
This general air of pleasure at the prospect of a new Windows OS isn’t going down too well as the Free Software Foundation. According to CNET, the FSF staged a demonstration in Boston on Wednesday (Aug. 26) urging businesses to ditch Windows in favor of free alternatives. It’s also promoting a Web site called Windows7Sins.org which basically states the case against Windows and proprietary software.
On top of that, the FSF has sent letters to the CEOs of 499 of the Fortune 500 companies, excluding Microsoft of course, urging them not to even consider upgrading their systems to Windows 7. The reason cited is that Windows 7 “is a threat to business privacy, security and freedom.”
This is blatant marketing against Windows 7 and for Linux and other open source software. Which is fair enough. That is after all what the Free Software Foundation is all about. However, why no mention of Apple, which is a worse offender at distributing proprietary software than even Microsoft.
I guess the FSF is following the EU’s line of thinking in its battle against Internet Explorer – go after Microsoft regardless, even if other companies are just as bad.
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August 28th, 2009
Use your common sense. The FSF has two reasons for not pursuing Apple in the case against proprietary software:
1) Apple actually contributes to free software development through programs like CUPS (contrary to your article);
2) Microsoft is the largest player by far in the client operating system market.
August 28th, 2009
Apple is a tiny slice. 10% of a single segment. And take far more than they give back to OSS.
http://tinyurl.com/56vvf6
Those Laptop Hunter ads benefit the hardware vendors and Best Buy more than Microsoft.
And while I’m a Linux user and support FOSS, Microsoft derangement syndrome is irritating.