Some of Microsoft's latest mischiefs and law-dodging moves leave its competitors out in the cold, even on the ideally-standardised Web

What a coup Microsoft has pulled off. After getting millions of people all over the world to shell out for the sugar-frosted turd that was Windows Vista, here we are three years later at the Windows 7 launch, and Microsoft has people practically falling over themselves to pay more money so they don’t have to use Vista any more.

The launch of the Windows 7 computer operating system on Thursday should help Microsoft tighten its grip as the dominant supplier of desktops and laptops to the business world. But that hasn't stopped backers of Linux —

The day Windows 7 became available the HP Mi
interface appears to have died a quiet death. A visit to the HP
Mini pages reveals that HP is only offering "genuine" Windows 7 and
"genuine" Windows XP. I also noticed that the HP Mini 110 also
sports a new, higher starting price, a full US $25 more than when I
ordered mine earlier this month.

Novell - like Microsoft - gets special treatment from IDG, with which it does business; MySQL acquisition debated further

OOXML BRM convenor getting down to business. Take a look...

In addition to shameless propaganda, Microsoft is dumping software and Microsoft training in places where GNU/Linux gains traction, such as Kenya; Maryland and Illinois receive "American EDGI"

In Part I of this OOXML update, my first post on the topic in over a year, I showed you how Microsoft maintains strong control over the OOXML standard.