小弟覺得硬體廠商要支援Linux應該不是一件難事,因為Linux的東西大部份是開放原始碼,廠商測試機器時可以自行試用,且執行Linux所需硬體需求較低,要支援Linux技術上應該不是問題.重點是廠商有沒有把這個因素考量進去,以及消費者有沒有反應給廠商知道

昨天有報導指出，這次 Novell和微軟簽訂合作協議，微軟付給了 Novell三億多美金。三億多美金看起來是不少，但是從歷史來看，所有曾經和微軟簽訂合作協議的公司幾乎都沒有好下場。

新聞截文：
在與Novell簽訂協議之後，微軟現在是否會將矛頭指向其他所有的Samba商業用戶？如果Novell願意支付專利保護費用的話，其他廠商是否也該付費？基於此一原因，所有其他商業性Linux廠商-- Red Hat ( 紅帽 )、Ubuntu、Mandriva、 甲骨文 、甚至 IBM 與 惠普 ，以及無數使用Samba的儲存及應用裝置廠商，都將受到微軟的法律砲火波及。

先來要求 ATi 提供足夠的驅動程式，連署不買 ATi 顯示卡
http://www.petitiononline.com/atipet/

在下卻沒有連署，覺得要求太低了，應是要求自由驅動程式，再來說硬體規格公開......

不知道微軟下一步會是什麼?現在和Novell結為朋友,擁抱Suse Linux,並且和Novell交換條件換取彼此間的利益,自由軟體的力量希望是用到好的方面,微軟最近似乎頻頻向自由社群示好...

Posted: 8 Nov 2006

Novell and Microsoft Collaboration

Microsoft Corp. and Novell Inc. today announced a set of broad business and technical collaboration agreements to build, market and support a series of new solutions to make Novell and Microsoft products work better together. The two companies also announced an agreement to provide each other's customers with patent coverage for their respective products. These agreements will be in place until at least 2012. Under this new model, customers will realize unprecedented choice and flexibility through improved interoperability and manageability between Windows and Linux.

"They said it couldn't be done. This is a new model and a true evolution of our relationship that we think customers will immediately find compelling because it delivers practical value by bringing two of their most important platform investments closer together," said Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft. "We're excited to work with Novell, whose strengths include its heritage as a mixed-source company. Resolving our patent issues enables a combined focus on virtualization and Web services management to create new opportunities for our companies and our customers."

Under the agreement, Novell is establishing clear leadership among Linux platform and open source software providers on interoperability for mixed-source environments. As a result, Microsoft will officially recommend SUSE Linux Enterprise for customers who want Windows and Linux solutions. Additionally, Microsoft will distribute coupons for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server maintenance and support, so that customers can benefit from the use of an interoperable version of Linux with patent coverage as well as the collaborative work between the two companies.

"Too often technology companies ask their customers to adapt to them. Today we are adapting to our customers," said Ron Hovsepian, president and CEO of Novell. "Microsoft and Novell are enabling customers to take advantage of each other's products where it makes sense in their enterprise infrastructure. We jointly believe that our business and patent agreements make it possible to offer the highest level of interoperability with the assurance that both our companies stand behind these solutions."

不知道微軟下一步會是什麼?現在和Novell結為朋友,擁抱Suse Linux,並且和Novell交換條件換取彼此間的利益,自由軟體的力量希望是用到好的方面,微軟最近似乎頻頻向自由社群示好...

既然微軟將與網威共同行銷整合彼此技術的產品，市場開始擔心開放軟體陣營一些原有的利基將要流失。基於微軟的財力和實力，有可能透過SuSE Linux影響到先前在開源碼社群中正在進行的標準訂定，或進一步在掌握技術重點後，開發出足以對開源碼應用程式產生威脅性的軟體，蠶蝕開源碼社群中其他業者生存空間。業者指出，照微軟過去的歷史，締約、合作、蠶蝕、取代等例子不勝枚數，包括 Sybase 、 Spyglass和英國手機公司 Sendo等。

以推動自由軟體為任務的現行國家政策，在兩作業系統業者合作後，開始對採購與否有所疑慮。據了解，採購單位質疑SuSE Linux未來可能會無法繼續得到如先前的服務，亦未必是發展自由軟體產業的優良夥伴。

以推動 自由軟體 為主旨的第四次 阿里山日出計畫 策略會議日前閉幕，共在七個議題上提出21項建議，建請政府單位採行並推動自由軟體產業發展。雖然會議達成共識事項結果豐碩，但在現有環境下，台灣既無規格、標準領導力，也欠缺市場規模，培養相關產業發展，有限的政府預算又被大半公協會掌握，自由軟體發展前景極不樂觀。

在推動自由軟體大旗下，政府每年約編列數千萬元預算，絕大多數都分配給電腦公會和軟協進行推廣、用來舉辦各類研討會，實際分配到業者手上數額寥寥可數。另一方面，台灣幾近沒有本土Linux系統，主要合作對象是近幾年異軍突起的 網威 （ Novell ）公司，偏偏這家公司展現向 微軟 靠近意圖，未來是否仍能繼續扮演合作發展的夥伴角色受到質疑。

But that appears increasingly unlikely, because Mark Webbink, Red Hat's deputy general counsel, has all but ruled out any similar agreement with Microsoft, telling eWEEK that "we do not believe there is a need, or basis, for the type of relationship defined in the Microsoft-Novell announcement."

However, Red Hat "has and will continue to work with Microsoft on true interoperability and open standards in the way we did in advising them in the development of their Open Specification Promise," he said.

Hilf, who has been touring Europe since the announcement, admitted that there's been a lot of negativity about the deal in the open-source community. "Our intention with this deal was not to create a problem, but rather to solve one," he said.

Ballmer did not provide details during his comments today. But he was adamant that Linux users, apart from those using SUSE, are taking advantage of Microsoft innovation, and that someone -- either Linux vendors or users -- would eventually have to pay up.

"Only customers that use SUSE have paid properly for intellectual property from Microsoft," he said. "We are willing to do a deal with Red Hat and other Linux distributors." The deal with SUSE Linux "is not exclusive," Ballmer added.

簡單點說，就是 Micro$oft 看來也會控告別的 Linux 分發者了！