WTF? AOL in negotiations to buy Red Hat

[Random Variable]

<< Jan. 19 ? AOL Time Warner Inc. is in talks to buy Red Hat Inc., a prominent distributor of a computer operating system, an acquisition that would position the media giant to challenge arch rival Microsoft Corp., according to sources familiar with the matter. >>


http://msnbc.com/news/690661.asp

 

[Geekbabe]

They have got to be kidding !!!!

 

[Rogue]

This smacks of morons at the helm. Let me think, AOL will take a fairly complex OS, dumb it down, throw in lots of bugs, security holes and crap software like Real Player, AOL 9.0 - Complete and Utter Idiot Edition and take on Microsoft? I think not. It takes far more than that fellas.

 

[jthsmak]

dont worry, they arent allowed to make it cost money or compete with MS

 

[notfred]

/me starts downloading Suse, jsut in case.

 

[Electrode]

I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. On one side, the possibility that AOL Time Warner could get the word out about Linux, and make it a much more viable alternative to Windows in the long run.

On the other, the possibility that AOL might "embrace and extend" pretty much everything Redhat has done. That might mean an "AOL OS" that's about as standards-compliant as Windows. That would bring us another step closer to the days where nothing that worked on one computer would work on another because of a lack of standards.

 

[xyyz]

so let them... just don't use RedHat... use debian or something... or better yet try FreeBSD... on second thought no don't try FreeBDS.... the more people that try will mean the longer the reply on freebsd-questions when I have a problem.

 

[Geekbabe]

<< dont worry, they arent allowed to make it cost money or compete with MS >>




The thought of having to provide end user support for an AOL version of Red Hat is enough to give me heart failure !

 

[dawks]

This is horrible! Say it aint so!!!


Wow, were going to be dealing with two super powers soon.. Microsoft and AOL are going to dominate the computer industry and they are both slowly expanding to the entertainment industry..

At least Microsoft puts out useful and decent products.. I guess AOL does too, those CD's sure make good table props.

 

[Platypus]

AOL+Red Hat = hilarity

 

[Mookow]

OMG!!! OH NO! AIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! NOOOOOO!O!OO!O!!!

Note: I've never done that before, but there is a first time for everything

 

[Valhalla1]

you think this is bad...

just wait until Microsoft buys AOL.

 

[Geekbabe]

<< OMG!!! OH NO! AIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! NOOOOOO!O!OO!O!!!

Note: I've never done that before, but there is a first time for everything >>




LOL, multiply that by around 10,000 help desk techs around the world screaming it in unison... the thought is like a nightmare !!!

 

[Electrode]

<< you think this is bad...

just wait until Microsoft buys AOL. >>

I'm sure they've tried.

But the major risk with something like that isn't the fact that we'd all be forced to use complete and utter shiat for everything, but that the resulting company would be so large and so powerful, that they could begin to have nearly direct control over the US government.

That is why I stopped using Windows long ago.

 

[lawaris]

OMG!!! OH NO! AIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! NOOOOOO!O!OO!O!!!

for me too............

 

[HappyFace]

<< OMG!!! OH NO! AIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! NOOOOOO!O!OO!O!!! >>

What he said!!! ^ :Q

 

[Linux23]

<<

<< OMG!!! OH NO! AIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! NOOOOOO!O!OO!O!!! >>

What he said!!! ^ :Q >>

 

[Lars]

This is a joke right?
This is a joke right?
This is a joke right?
This is a joke right?
This is a joke right?
This is a joke right?

:Q

 

[Bluga]

actually it might not be that bad. Linux is having trouble getting into average consumer market.

 

I don't expect any quality stuff and open source code from Red Hat! Good bye! :|

 

[Soybomb]

<< throw in lots of bugs, security holes >>


Throw in? Have you tried half of the redhat releases? Most recently I'd say what was that 7.0 business? And security holes? Redhat has never exactly been a paragon of security either.

Don't get me wrong I like redhat, I use them for desktop boxes, but some redhat distros seem to have those traits.

 

[zeruty]

maybe this will be enough to cause my friends to heed my advice and not use red hat! slackware all the way!

 

[chuckieland]

now that AOL is going into the os market
people would think MS is worth the money
what the world has come to????
MS beat AOL on media player war, browser war....etc
now ms is going to kick some serous AOL red hat

 

[Shuxclams]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5064-2002Jan18.html Well I'll be........













SHUX

 

[burnedout]

From the Washington Post article:

The AOL online software, which consumers can install for free from the Web or a compact disk, is now designed to run on Microsoft's Windows operating system. But the AOL software could be configured to override Windows and launch a version of Red Hat's Linux operating system, sources said.

I smell a tech support catastrophe of monumental proportions in the making. Especially on Aunt Agnes' three year old Compaq.