On Thu, 4 Feb 2010, Robert Nesius wrote:

> Re: Collusion between Intel and Microsoft  to somehow harm Linux *
> Having just finished a twelve year tour at Intel where I maintained a
> distribution of Open Source tools across multiple Linux distros, and before
> that, multiple flavors of vendor-supported *nix, I can tell you this isn't
> true.  If you think Microsoft and Intel get together for group love fests
> and anti-linux strategy sessions, think again.  Microsoft and Intel are
> strategic partners.  They will work with each other to when necessary to fix
> problems.  Strategic business partners do that in every industry.   Beyond
> that Intel doesn't give a damn how many PCs are running Windows, and how
> many are running Linux.

Beyond that?  Yes, they don't care about Linux and they do care about 
themselves.  To the extent that Linux is in the way of Microsoft, 
Microsoft cares about it and will push Intel to do things that help 
Microsoft.  It isn't so much about Linux as about how Microsoft and Intel 
work together -- two monopolies illegally colluding in their 
anti-competitive practices to promote their products.  Intel has to do 
what Microsoft wants because if Intel produces a chip that doesn't run 
Windows, they are screwed.  Whether an Intel chip will run Windows is 
Microsoft's decision.

There are many web pages about it:

http://www.google.com/search?q=microsoft+intel+collusion


> What they care about is that it is Intel iron under the hood.  Intel 
> wised up very quickly to the fact that x86 architecture was the dominant 
> architecture for Linux, and that a lot of big-iron companies were 
> willing to embrace Linux because no one strictly controlled it.  Linux 
> is deemed very much a part of Intel's strategic plan - so much so quite 
> a few of the top kernel developers are now employed at Intel in the Open 
> Source Technology Labs.  Moblin - Intel's SDK/OS for the Atom processor, 
> is also part of the Open Source Technology Center and is fundamentally 
> based on Linux.

Interesting.


> Where Intel has to tread carefully is that they cannot trumpet the 
> virtues of Linux over Windows too loudly - to some degree their hands 
> are tied.

Exactly.  Microsoft does favors for Intel:

http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/vista/microsoftintel_capable_collusion.html


> But in the market where Linux makes money - the enterprise computing 
> environment - Linux wins the day on its own merits.  Consider the fact 
> that Bing runs over Linux clusters before disputing that claim too 
> loudly. (Not to mention, check out the Halloween Documents.)

I'll look for it.

Mike