All complex systems have bugs, including our adored Linux. ;-) The difference is not the presence of bugs, its the treatment of them. That is to say, in the Linux world they are generally repaired, usually quickly. In the Micro$oft world, they are generally considered "not statistically significant," and we, the end user, simply hope they "go away" in the next release. Which we have to buy, because of that hope. Hideous cycle.

As for all the "Jackson's an idiot...for saying Linux is not a threat" comments I've been reading: Sorry, but it's not. Deal with it. Consider the actual market--Sure, Linux is growing fast and is a wonderful operating system (so was NEXTSTEP, remember it?). But Linux only has about 15% of the server market, and _that_ is only a tiny fraction (a few percent) of the overall market represented by the desktop. Micro$oft _owns_ the desktop world. If Micro$oft could build the right strategy (I don't think it can) and if it wasn't running scared from the DOJ right now... it could squash Linux with incredible marketing dollars, vast user presence, etc.

But that can't happen now. That's the best thing about this ruling--not that Micro$oft will be split up (I don't really think it will be, but we'll see), or that it could be fined, or that there might be other penalties. The great benefit that we will reap is that now Micro$oft can't _act_ like the monopoly that it is. It _can't_ outright try to squash Linux, because doing so would draw too much attention to itself.

And _that_ means that Linux has a long-term chance. We aren't a tremendous threat right now, but it's the potential we should be thinking about. Where will Linux be in five years? I'm hoping it will have reached 15% of those desktop machines...