Microsoft's Linux Support: Denial, Then Concession:

• aussiebear: "First they ignore you, / then they laugh at you, / then they fight you, / then you win." - Mahatma Gandhi 1869-1948

Are iPod Users Better People?

• Harrison: "I think this may be a bit if a cynical take on things. I would think that the reason for 'battling' iPod tracks isn't to see who is the better person; rather it is to build a sense of community on an otherwise starkly impersonal commute."

• Elietia: "iPod users aren't better people, we just make better purchases. Simple as that."

• Glenn SB: "Of course iPod people are better people and Mac people are better people. They recognize elegance in computing and electronics way before everyone else, so they buy the coolest stuff and are willing to pay more for it. Having good taste has always been a sign of superiority."

Poll: Metasploit--Help Or Menace?

• Steve B.: "I don't know a a single person who uses metaspoit to test their own environment. Most of us use commercial products that include better reporting mechanisms."

Special Report: Live From China

• Steve Jones: "I hope your knowledge of history is better than that. China an 'object of pity and charity'? While North Korea was a military threat? Who do you think kicked our butts in the Korean War? It sure wasn't the North Koreans. China was a military threat for the entire second half of the 20th century. Still is. Ask anyone in Taiwan, Tibet, or Nepal."

• The Big Swirly: "I would be excited if the playing field was level. Otherwise all I hear is blah blah blah. Reprint this article after your job is outsourced to someone earning a tenth of your salary, with no rights, and no social infrastructure to support the individual."

Mac Envy At Web 2.0:

• Mike Bonamassa: "I just switched from a PC laptop (Lenovo X41 Tablet) to a 17" MacBook Pro (just before the release of the Core 2 Duos - oh well). I have to agree with you on the power cord. I use it in bed a night each night and sometimes the kids are jumping around and occasionally they hit the plug or step on the cable. in the past I would have panicked that the solder joint would break -- no more. One other thing - I have been pleasantly surprised at the compatibility between the Mac and the PC world. Most of my colleagues can't even tell I am working from a Mac as we share office documents and email."

Target Linux: While Ellison Brings The Hammer, Ballmer Wields...The Coupon

• Duncan: "Don't forget, even though it has not really been written about in the media (that I've seen), the deal between Microsoft and Novell was really centered around Mono and the .Net platform on Linux. Microsoft is a software development company at its core. Every move they make can be pinned at some level back to motives along those lines."

The End Of The Beginning Of The End Of Software?

• Ray Davis: "In the late 1960s and early 70s ownership of IBM mainframes (pretty much the only game in town for large-scale corporate computing) was cost prohibitive for many organizations and 'service bureaus' evolved to provide time-sharing and application-sharing trying to offer many of the same benefits as SaaS. ... SaaS faces the same issues its granddaddy faced back then; availability and security.... there are a lot of financial folks not comfortable with the idea that their business systems and data are not tucked inside the walls of their own facilities where they have more direct control over the availability and security."

Editor's Note: Comments are edited for length, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage. Follow the links to go back to the original discussion.