While the world watches the outcome of the Microsoft trial, and prays that something happens to this wretched monolith of a corporation, we might be missing something. Something big.
Microsoft Linux.
A recent ZDNet article points out that, "Microsoft has been hiring Linux experts left and right" before it delves right in and reveals, through unconfirmed sources, that the giant is working on its own Linux build.
"We are," the source confirmed, "working on our own Linux build." When pressed for the current status, the engineer did elaborate. "Our current minimum install is 300MB. This build, codenamed ‘Cicero’, needs 256MB and at least a 750MHz CPU to run ideally." Minimum requirements are 100MB hard drive space, 32MB of memory, and a Pentium 133.
Microsoft has essentially taken everything that is good about Linux and made it even better by embracing and extending current technologies. Open Source, for instance, has grown into Microsoft Open Source requiring any program that runs under MSLinux to undergo an extensive suite of tests. Once approved, Microsoft purchases the right to the code outright in exchange for official MSLinux approval.
Within the coming weeks, Microsoft will launch its Linux site (linux.microsoft.com) and offer up a final version of Cicero for everyone to try. Will anyone nibble? I believe that as of today, April 1, 2000, people will. -pm
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