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Microsoft Buys OpenOffice.org

Posted by CowboyNeal on Sat Apr 01, 2006 11:51 AM
from the right-price dept.

Micahel West writes "As reported on OpenOffice.org: 'For an undisclosed sum but reputed to be in the billions, Microsoft's Bill Gates has personally bought the leading open-source desktop project. Saying he "was sick and tired of open-source eating away at his profits," the world's richest man decided to put an end to the nuisance and simply buy OpenOffice.org. It will form part of a growing list of Microsoft acquisitions including several erstwhile competitors, a considerable number of prominent politicians, and a few small governments.'"

[+] aprilfools, lame, heterosexual, joke, openoffice (tagging beta)

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That's getting a bit close... (Score:4, Insightful)

by clevershark (130296) on Saturday April 01 2006, @11:53AM (#15042088) Homepage

It would have been funnier if this hadn't been exactly what Symantec did with Sygate (buy it to kill it)..
- - Re:That's getting a bit close... (Score:2)
    
    by jessecurry (820286)
    
    that's a lot to pay for the same functionality that I can get for a few hundred US dollars if I go with Office :D
Finally! (Score:3, Interesting)

by SuperDuG (134989) <be@[ ]ec.tk ['ecl' in gap]> on Saturday April 01 2006, @11:54AM (#15042094) Homepage Journal

I'm so tired of all the bloat in Open Office, now someone will finally be able to optimize it and get rid of all those "open standard" hippie mumbo jumbo.
For those of you who think this is an April Fools Joke, please note, it's April 2nd somewhere in the world.
- April 2nd (Score:3, Funny)
  
  by Farmer Tim (530755)
  
  Its been April 2nd for four hours here in sunny...uh, still dark Australia. And pink still isn't funny.
  
  OK, I suggest everyone emails Cmdr Taco with a one word message:
  
  "Subtlety!"
  
  And if he doesn't get it, we should round up a posse to rivet a brass plaque w
  - Re:April 2nd (Score:2)
    
    by theshowmecanuck (703852)
    
    Well considering how many Slashdot posters said they related to this article [slashdot.org], maybe "Subtlety" is not such a good idea.
    - Re:April 2nd (Score:2)
      
      by Farmer Tim (530755)
      
      I wasn't suggesting it for Taco's benefit...more as a kind of "mob therapy" for those of us who suffer serious psychological trauma from an excess of pink. And ponies.
OMG - Open Source is So Cute! (Score:2, Insightful)

by erbmjw (903229)

ROFLMAO People are wondering why I am laughing so hard! Damn but they just don't get the point of April 1st.
- - TEE HEE (Score:2)
    
    by themusicgod1 (241799)
    
    mmm ROFLSANDWICH [mcdonalds.ca]. just thinking about it makes me hungry
Honestly... (Score:4, Insightful)

by nmaster64 (867033) on Saturday April 01 2006, @11:54AM (#15042098) Homepage

...that's the most believable story I've read today...and there's something really sad about that fact...
- Re:Honestly... (Score:3, Insightful)
  
  by bcmm (768152)
  
  No it isn't believable. OpenOffice is GPL. It cannot be bought out because it's source is freely available, and because any modifications made are also GPL, so if the project theoretically could be bought, people could still have anything that came out of
  - Re:Honestly... (Score:3, Funny)
    
    by nmaster64 (867033)
    
    Wow...your way to serious for a hot pink website...
  - Re:Honestly... (Score:2)
    
    by SirTalon42 (751509)
    
    OpenOffice isn't GPL.
    - Re:Honestly... (Score:2)
      
      by bcmm (768152)
      
      LGPL, version 2. Pedant. It doesn't make a difference, especially as the LGPL is GPL compatible, i.e. it is possible to modify OpenOffice and release the fork under the GPL.
      
      Gotta wonder why it's not under the main GPL though.
- If you can't beat 'em... (Score:2)
  
  by Kelson (129150) *
  
  ...buy 'em!
Well, that's a... (Score:1)

by scumfuker (882056)

scary thought. ...
In other news.... (Score:5, Funny)

by technoextreme (885694) on Saturday April 01 2006, @11:55AM (#15042102)

Microsoft to replace Word with OpenOffice after everybody at Microsoft said in front of Bill Gates,"Wow. This is so much better than Word. I wonder why we didn't switch earlier."
A few small governments (Score:2)

by iced_773 (857608)

Including this one [usdoj.gov]? It would make sense [slashdot.org].
Yes!! (Score:2, Insightful)

by evil agent (918566)

Finally, maybe now those idiots at OpenOffice.org can finally get all of those MS files to work properly in their software. How many years have they been working on this and they still can't get it right. WTF have they been doing?
- Re:Yes!! (Score:2)
  
  by jb.hl.com (782137)
  
  WTF have they been doing?
  
  Making up that crappy joke about being bought by MS. Also waiting for OO.o to build (to compare, several hundred Gentoo installs have been completed in the same time.
  - Re:Yes!! (Score:2)
    
    by koh (124962)
    
    Also waiting for OO.o to build (to compare, several hundred Gentoo installs have been completed in the same time.
    
    I use gentoo, I have been in the process of ugrading glibc on a mere 3 machines for 2 hours now, and I do not think you know what you're talkin
    - Re:Yes!! (Score:2)
      
      by jb.hl.com (782137)
      
      Sorry, I'm just bitter. I installed Gentoo this morning (or at least started to) but gave up when I realised that both Debian and Windows install in a fraction of the time.
Enough already! (Score:5, Insightful)

by NtroP (649992) on Saturday April 01 2006, @12:01PM (#15042125)

Hey guys, the whole idea of an April Fool's joke is that it's supposed to be believable. I would have bought the OpenSSH one if someone had posted a thoughtful article on a security page. Perhaps peppering enough clues to it's being a fake so that those "real" admins would know it was false because the exploit described was not plausible, while the "wannabies" spent their Saturday at work combing the net for the patch and filling up forums with "OMG, WTF?! I can't find a patch for my Ubuntu web server!"
The saddest part is, this is the most believable story yet.
- Re:Enough already! (Score:2)
  
  by cp.tar (871488)
  
  Believable?
  
  Tell that to all the creationists who were all too ready to believe that, after three months of constant arguing, I actually converted and accepted their arguments.
  
  Then again, creationists will obviously believe anything, so I guess it doesn't
That was dumb. (Score:3, Funny)

by Malor (3658) on Saturday April 01 2006, @12:03PM (#15042134) Journal

He should have bought the GPL instead.
Obligatory Simpsons video (Score:3, Funny)

by The Hobo (783784) on Saturday April 01 2006, @12:04PM (#15042137)

"Buy him out, boys"

I didn't get rich by writing cheques! [mediawart.com]

(Apparently this won't work for linux users, fittingly :-p)
- Works for sure, dude. (Score:2)
  
  by twitter (104583)
  
  Apparently this won't work for linux users, fittingly :-p
  Nah, works just fine. Use mplayer and download the crappy win32 drivers. Funny thing is that it works better under X than it does under windoze.
Yay! (Score:2)

by m50d (797211)

Now hopefully the wonderful, neglected KOffice will finally get the attention it deserves from the OSS community.
- Re:Yay! (Score:2)
  
  by wed128 (722152)
  
  Koffice's biggest problem is it's affiliation with bloaty bloat bloat bloat KDE
Please (Score:4, Funny)

by this great guy (922511) on Saturday April 01 2006, @12:06PM (#15042152)

Pleaaase Slashdot editors, on my knees I beg you to remove the pink color. It hurts our eyes reaaally hard. April Fool's Day is supposed to be a joke, not a torture. Please be clement.
- Re:Please (Score:2, Informative)
  
  by Nick Gisburne (681796)
  
  I can read the pink on white, but the pink on grey is near impossible for my tired eyes. Darker pink or darker grey please!
- Re:Please (Score:2)
  
  by TeknoHog (164938)
  
  You can always use the 'light' stylesheet from /. settings. I can't bear to read this site otherwise, not matter what the color scheme.
  Besides, I think the pink theme is actually rather funny, at least when compared to all the other April fool's jokes th
- Re:Please (Score:2)
  
  by dotpavan (829804)
  
  hey its just a day.. put up with this like I did, wear Ray-ban goggles with ultra filters.
Google Desktop Search doesn't index openofficedocs (Score:2)

by quokkapox (847798)

This is the only thing that's really keeping me from switching over completely to openoffice. It's sort of annoying that my old legacy xls files and doc files get indexed by google desktop search, while everything new I create and everything I re-save in
- Re:Google Desktop Search doesn't index openofficed (Score:2)
  
  by Khuffie (818093)
  
  I don't use google desktop or open office, but this should help: http://desktop.google.com/plugins/indextheopenoffi ce.html [google.com]
  - Re:Google Desktop Search doesn't index openofficed (Score:2)
    
    by quokkapox (847798)
    
    Thank you. I was just lazy. That will do nicely.
Full list of April fools joke's (Score:5, Interesting)

by Urgo (28400) on Saturday April 01 2006, @12:11PM (#15042170) Homepage

For the third year in a row, Urgo's list of April Fool's Jokes on Websites [urgo.org] contains the most complete list of April Fool's Day pranks websites have created. Featured by news.com.com.com.. [com.com] and Microsoft [microsoft.com], the site strives to list EVERY joke site, and is updated every few minutes with new verified jokes.

Here is a sample, the twenty most popular ones:
mymsnsearch.com [mymsnsearch.com] - fake (but hilariously accurate) search results
thinkgeek.com [thinkgeek.com] - USB Tanning Center, RFID Blocking T-shirt, Grow Your Own 1up Mushroom Kit, Caffeine Inhaler, and more
blog.outer-court.com [outer-court.com] - Google Rooms
gtachicago.com [gtachicago.com] - gta chicago does not exist, (*hint check the whois info*)
tveps.net [tveps.net] - Isaac 'Chef' Hayes not leaving southpark after all. Comes clean that it was a publicity stunt.
blizzard.com [blizzard.com] - BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT® PRESENTS BURGERCRAFT(TM)
iwantoneofthose.com [iwantoneofthose.com] - tiny device that downloads your brain's memory to a 2GB USB Flash Drive
bolloxcomics.co.uk [bolloxcomics.co.uk] - Myspace parody
wiebetech.com [wiebetech.com] - 5 TB iPod
googlesystem.blogspot.com [blogspot.com] - Google Browser is finally launched. Installer 1.68MB
figuiere.net [figuiere.net] - int is_computer_on(void)
steampowered.com [steampowered.com] - VALVe purchased by Apple
slashdot.org [slashdot.org] - OMG!!! PONIES!!! (and pink layout)
ogrish.com [ogrish.com] - (NSFW) Bizarre Baby Born In Nepal
worldofwarcraft.com [worldofwarcraft.com] - Blizzard to put Wisps as a playable race for World of Warcraft.
gearlog.com [gearlog.com] - Laptop Lingerie: Bringing Tech & Pleasure Together
2600.com [2600.com] - 200600 google spoof
bungie.net [bungie.net] - Bungie's next game, Pimps At Sea, progessing nicely for the Xbox360
forums.worldofwarcraft.com [worldofwarcraft.com] - World of Warcraft 1.11 patch notes leaked
theregister.co.uk [theregister.co.uk] - customise The Register to suit your needs - from blocking ads, to selecting the kind of stories you really want to read.
Read the rest of this comment...
- I say wikipedias is better (Score:3, Informative)
  
  by technoextreme (885694)
  
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_1%2C_2006 [wikipedia.org] Wikipedia. Anything and everything you wanted to know.
  - Re:I say wikipedias is better (Score:2)
    
    by nagora (177841)
    
    Wikipedia. Anything and everything you wanted to know.
    But without any way of knowing if it's true today.
    TWW
I REALLY Like Pickles!!!! (Score:5, Funny)

by DAldredge (2353) <SlashdotEmail@GMail.Com> on Saturday April 01 2006, @12:18PM (#15042197) Journal

Mod me up to +5!!!

PLEASE!!!!
Related News: GPL3 Changes Allow Closed Source (Score:2)

by darkonc (47285)

In related nows, RMS announced that the new GPL3 (and LGPL3) would alow users to go closed source. Speaking from his new 40ft yacht (he still hasn't explained where it came from) near his new Martha's Vinyard mansion (ditto), he announced "Linux was havin
Gates is a moron (Score:2)

by kronocide (209440)

Why doesn't Bill Gates get that he can't win against open source with his old monopoly tactics? Open Office is open source, so we will just branch it and keep developing it and using it for free.
- Bah... (Score:4, Funny)
  
  by technoextreme (885694) on Saturday April 01 2006, @12:07PM (#15042154)
  
  Try typing in special characters using the keypad some time
  
  Man... If that's all you can complain about then consider youself lucky. I once had Microsoft Word restart the whole computer.
  
  [ Parent ]
- =Game("StarWars") (Score:2)
  
  by quokkapox (847798)
  
  n/t
- Re:But Wait... (Score:2)
  
  by toddestan (632714)
  
  It's a mystery!
  
  I agree! It's almost as big of a mystery as how cut and paste works in Excel!
- Re:the real April Fool's (Score:3, Interesting)
  
  by symbolic (11752)
  
  Keep laughing...just the other day I spoke with someone employed by a reasonbly-sized city, that, like many, are cash-strapped. Don't think they aren't looking for ways to reduce their costs. She seemed intrigued by the fact that you could download, instal
- Re:April First Post (Score:2, Insightful)
  
  by Over00 (591403)
  
  eh, at least today you know for sure that everything you read is BS. Every other day you have to figure it out yourself
- Re:April First Post (Score:3, Insightful)
  
  by Guppy06 (410832)
  
  As opposed to the other 364 when the internet is only "mostly useless?"
- Re:April First Post (Score:2)
  
  by Digital Vomit (891734)
  
  Two people modded this as Troll? WTF?!?
  Here's a tip: read the moderating guidelines, ya bozos.
- - Hah! (Score:2)
    
    by AoT (107216)
    
    April Fools!
    
    He knew he had no FP.
    
    Who's the rube now, rube?
- - Re:About Time (Score:2)
    
    by wed128 (722152)
    
    OPENBSD has a blowfish i think...

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Microsoft Buys OpenOffice.org

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That's getting a bit close... (Score:4, Insightful)

Re:That's getting a bit close... (Score:2)

Finally! (Score:3, Interesting)

April 2nd (Score:3, Funny)

Re:April 2nd (Score:2)

Re:April 2nd (Score:2)

OMG - Open Source is So Cute! (Score:2, Insightful)

TEE HEE (Score:2)

Honestly... (Score:4, Insightful)

Re:Honestly... (Score:3, Insightful)

Re:Honestly... (Score:3, Funny)

Re:Honestly... (Score:2)

Re:Honestly... (Score:2)

If you can't beat 'em... (Score:2)

Well, that's a... (Score:1)

In other news.... (Score:5, Funny)

A few small governments (Score:2)

Yes!! (Score:2, Insightful)

Re:Yes!! (Score:2)

Re:Yes!! (Score:2)

Re:Yes!! (Score:2)

Enough already! (Score:5, Insightful)

Re:Enough already! (Score:2)

That was dumb. (Score:3, Funny)

Obligatory Simpsons video (Score:3, Funny)

Works for sure, dude. (Score:2)

Yay! (Score:2)

Re:Yay! (Score:2)

Please (Score:4, Funny)

Re:Please (Score:2, Informative)

Re:Please (Score:2)

Re:Please (Score:2)

Google Desktop Search doesn't index openofficedocs (Score:2)

Re:Google Desktop Search doesn't index openofficed (Score:2)

Re:Google Desktop Search doesn't index openofficed (Score:2)

Full list of April fools joke's (Score:5, Interesting)

I say wikipedias is better (Score:3, Informative)

Re:I say wikipedias is better (Score:2)

I REALLY Like Pickles!!!! (Score:5, Funny)

Related News: GPL3 Changes Allow Closed Source (Score:2)

Gates is a moron (Score:2)

Bah... (Score:4, Funny)

=Game("StarWars") (Score:2)

Re:But Wait... (Score:2)

Re:the real April Fool's (Score:3, Interesting)

Re:April First Post (Score:2, Insightful)

Re:April First Post (Score:3, Insightful)

Re:April First Post (Score:2)

Hah! (Score:2)

Re:About Time (Score:2)

Microsoft Buys OpenOffice.org 50 Comments More |

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