Cutting costs is crucial for computer manufacturers and the buying public, which explains the flourishing popularity of Netbooks -- mini-sized and budget-priced laptop computers. But how can manufacturers dice the price even further? Hewlett-Packard might have the answer: use Google's Android OS instead of Microsoft's Windows. The combination is perfect for three reasons.
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Balzac
15 years 2 weeks 1 day 8 hours ago
One reason only: Android is Linux without GNU
Microsoft is more inclined to accept the inevitable if they can mitigate the harm to their collective ego by keeping the hairy head of the GNU from rearing up above them.
Also, GNU is opposed to software patents, so Microsoft can more-easily accept a version of the GPL which isn't geared towards resisting software patents. It's GPLv2-licensed, which is better than no GPL, but GPLv3 is preferable.
Google is going soft against Microsoft. Microsoft is still hard in their ideology against software freedom, the Raison d'être of GNU. Google aspires to be the new Microsoft. Ideologically indifferent to your freedom, all-powerful. They should know better.