Congratulations to Linspire for relegating their Linux desktop to the dustbin of technology. Just the fact that they have agreed to use Windows Live search as the default is pathetic. Nothing like making a mediocre product absolute crap by adding in lame Microsoft services.
"The companies did not go into the financial terms of the deal, but Kaefer said, "Clearly both of us expect to make money on the arrangement."
Right. Like Linspire and Xandros are going to see a windfall from this...maybe the payment they get from Microsoft will buy them another year of limping along. If Microsoft really cared about "interoperability” they would just buy one of these vendors and so some actual work on Linux rather than this pathetic life support.
In the past I have spoken highly of both Xandros and Linspire's goals for the Linux desktop. Now I think they are fools as they have relegated themselves to never being legitimate competition for Windows. Weak. Weak. Weak.
These Microsoft technology pacts are once again nothing but a further attempt for Microsoft to keep Linux and Open Source under it's thumb, thus ensuring that market share will be protected. The fact that the irrelevant players like Linspire and Xandros (I would even extend irrelevance to Novell) sign these agreements is an embarrassment to the rest of the Linux vendor community. These companies are selling their souls for a handful of pixie dust.