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It's Not All Up To Microsoft

There has been a lot of emphasis lately placed on the outcome of the U.S. v. Microsoft antitrust case, and rightfully so. But it would be a mistake to think that the decision of Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly will define the future of non-Microsoft operating systems and applications.

That decision may ultimately make things a little easier for the alternatives, but no matter what the judge decides, it will spell neither certain success nor certain doom for Linux and the other UNIX-like operating systems.

There is no question that tough sanctions against the Redmond monopolist would open the door in areas such as preloads on new computers. That is a far cry, though, from broad acceptance of Linux by the computer-buying public. The judge may well open the door, but it is the quality of the software that will determine whether Linux is invited inside.

Linux has undergone a near exponential growth spurt in the last four years, with the arrival of large, integrated desktops, the increased complexity and capability of some of the big desktop-independent packages, and the number of software categories represented and hardware types supported. This growth has not come without cost, however. As they desktops have grown, they have not necessarily matured apace; this is not to say that they cannot or will not, but that so far they have not. The rate of development has been so great that there has scarcely been time to pause and appraise the directions in which that growth is taking place. Even the 2.4-series kernel itself has suffered some serious stumbles.

None of this is meant as criticism of Linux, which remains the sensible choice for those who want a stable, reliable, and secure operating system. It is instead an unbiased look at the current state of affairs. Cheerleading has its place, and in the Linux sphere that place is a very important one. Just as important is a realistic look at where Linux is, where it is going, and what needs to be done to capitalize upon opportunities such as those presented when the security vulnerabilities of Windows become ever more apparent; indeed, such as will be presented if the judge comes down hard against Microsoft.

Strong penalties against the monopolist would be appropriate and welcome, but whether or not they come, we have work to do. Neither rejoicing nor anguish should blind us to that fact.