Not especially, but I think they should be less dismissive, especially with the disaster Vista has turned out to be...

no, but they should be terrified of apple. apple has better systems and better technology. their stuff also runs more efficiently. eventually apple will take over, it is just a matter of time.

No... there are many institutions and individuals out there that will never grasp even the basics of computing and they will always choose the big name/big money solution over the low cost/more practical solution. After all, if it was better wouldn't it cost more? Back in the mid-sixties Mutual Life of Canada (at the time, the biggest insurance company in Canada) hired a team of computer geniuses to decide which combo of computer and software would be best for them to fully computerize all their records. After a year long study, which cost them two million dollars (remember this was back when two million was worth a lot of money), the team recommended a Honeywell Computer with a custom designed software package. Manulife (they had changed their name in the course of the year) thanked the team very much and then went out and purchased a full package from IBM at twice the cost and nowhere near the usefulness. Why?... Because IBM was more famous than Honeywell, so their package must be better. There are still people out there making the same kind of stupid decisions. In my time in the Canadian Navy, I've seen many. This includes ignoring the fact that everybody who used Wordperfect thought it was a fantastic word processor and giving millions to Microsoft for the licence for Word (and eventually MS Office), which everybody who uses hates with a passion. I seen grown men weep when, after they cut and pasted a snippet from another file, their entire document magically reformats itself into a pile of manure. And this sort of stupid thinking will continue to allow Microsoft to flourish in spite of the clear superiority of Linux. Hope this helps.

Yes, it should. Linux can be costumed further than Windows, and is more stable, and much more compatible. Linux can run Windows apps in Wine, and can open many Windows formats, and Microsoft is not even compatible with other versions of its self.

Yes and of Apple OS as well. Both are more stable and can be more customized. After the release of Vista, they should be worried about any other OS that pops up for the next few years.

Not yet. As good of a system as the various distros of Linux are, it's overall still a tinker's operating system. For instance, I'm dual booting a living room media system, and for some reason I could no longer view linux on my TV. So I ended up trying everything before starting over with a fresh install. Now I still can't get it to work on my TV, and suddenly it thinks that one of my hard drives doesn't exist. Windows MCE on the other hand works fine, and is what I'm typing this on. The average computer is life support for web browsers and email clients. Until there's a distro that works perfectly for that set, as well as reasonably well for anyone in between there and a more competent user, then Linux is still not going to have a commanding share of desktop users.

No, linux is a small threat to Microsoft; for almost 10 years now, I have been hearing how MS should fear the penguin or how TUX will take over. The general public is too ignorant to know any better. I had a couple tell me how concerned about computer security they were, so I suggested they use linux over microsoft. They replied "No thanks, my son installed firefox now were much safer" "hackers wont get past firefox". Which reminds me of the guy who bought low cost DSL and insisted his 56K modem be plugged in for it to work. He also said as long as AOL isn't running you are not connected and the only way to get email is to use AOL. WOW! As long as the "AOL is the internet" mentality exists, MS will have a long prosperous future ahead of it.

Nah!!

I don't think Microsoft should be afraid yet and obviously they aren't or they wouldn't have released Vista in the sorry state that it's in. It's not the first time that they released a new operating system that wasn't as good as it's predecessor. I do believe that they have created an excellent opportunity for people, that were already unhappy with Windows, to try another operating system. Me, for one.

As a desktop OS, No. Not unless Linux gets some serious commercial support. For ISP services, of course, but then *nix has always been the server of choice for DNS/DHCP/RADIUS/etc. For a corporate server, No. For many reasons. But I gotta tell you. Vista sucks. Apple has grown significantly in share over the last couple years and Google's office could wind up being a threat (considering the majority of office users dont use more than 10% of the features)

Not as a desktop OS Linux is too hard to setup and repair if something does go wrong for the average user, you have to be VERY knowledgeable to be able to setup linux properly, its getting better but its more aimed at professionals usually as a server operating system

Hardly... Windows dominates in the desktop and personal computer markets with about 90% of the desktop market share, and in 2007 accounted for about 66% of all servers sold Comparison of Windows to Linux http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_Windows_and_Linux

in terms of every day operating system no in terms of server Operating system YES VERY

yes the Chinese loves linux

At about the same level that an elephant should be afraid of a mouse, which they are, helifino why?

Hell yes. As far as I'm concerned (I'm a web developer/designer) the only thing that Windows does better than a Linux OS is gaming.

Absolutely! Linux is coming Microsoft!

Linux is but a fly on Microsoft's arm.

I don't think so. There are things I like about Linux but it is way too hard for the average computer user to set up. Ubuntu however seems to be changing that. There is still the issue of updatability for proprietary drivers in Linux, so for the small licensing feel Microsoft charges, I'll let them do all that hard work for me. As far as Updates, when I had Ubuntu, it updated almost every day so I think even they have problems keeping up with changes. The fact is that the WORLD runs on Microsoft so until Skynet comes online we should be Ok.

Not for some time yet. I do think that they should, and I think they finally are, taking a closer look at their own camp. Vista's reputation is so bad that now they are using the ruse of another name, Windows Mojave, to try to introduce people to the product.

Microsoft should be afraid of FIREFOX!

- I really don't CARE. If'n they choose to respond with fear so be it. Its their destiny. Ed

No. Being Freeware won't cut it against a company like Microsoft.

No. It should be afraid of AB. ;D

No. Microsoft should view Linux and other FOSS as an opportunity rather than a threat. They should spend their time and resources developing end-user software rather than browbeating vendors into supporting their kludgy proprietary OS at the expense of other systems. Microsoft is anti-competitive, and there is no real reason for it. They are, in fact, afraid of Linux, FreeBSD, Mac, and pretty much everyone else they haven't already acquired or crushed. Remember CP/M? They could make more money and fewer enemies if they abandoned their quixotic campaign to own the OS market and ported their apps and games to run on other systems. But they won't, because they are afraid.

Somewhere I read an interview on Bill Gates about Linux. He says it terrifies him, he related it to IBM's OS/2. Bill is also afraid that one day a web browser will be sufficient as an OS. And things like Zonbu are coming closer to that every day.

Yes they should. Since I switched to Linux Ubuntu nearly two years ago, my computer hasn't frozen up or crashed. It's very stable, secure and fast. No need for antivirus, antispyware, defrags or firewall although it comes with one. Yes Microsoft should be very afraid.

Afraid as in fear? I doubt that one comapany fears another anymore that any have a soul or human emotion. As to marketing share there may be some concern inside the board rooms of both companies. +5

Not even remotely yo...