Microsoft’s Hilf says Windows more reliable than Linux

Interesting article on ITWire in Australia. Bill Hilf is the man who has reneged on speaking at the upcoming Linux World Conf & Expo in Australia, although he did manage a phone conference to the recent GOVIS Open Source Seminar.

I am always intrigued by the selective memory that marketing people have. Bills main argument is that the reason Microsoft products are so successful is that they are integrated, easy to use and tested with a wide range of products. Really? I thought it was because you coudn't buy a computer or laptop from a major vendor that didn't have Windows on it.

He also claims that Windows Server is now the number 1 server product shipping in the market because they have "created a lot of value in that product". Again, I would have thought the fact that more Intel based servers got shipped and the requirements of the associated licensing scheme(s) was forcing a lot of that. And by the way, Linux server growth is still in the double digits.

And finally we have the general tone that "reliability" and "ease of use" are the most important aspects of computer use completely ignoring the fact that the price of these alleged benefits is that you may only do things that the vendor allows you to do in the manner they allow you to. The claim is that the "gap between Windows and Linux as a usable desktop product will widen" with the release of Vista. "[Vista] will raise expectations... of what you can do with a personal computer".

Only if the vendor lets you, of course.