Hacker News

btilly · on July 1, 2011

He won a while ago with http://www.stefanoforenza.com/has-torvalds-finally-won/. And then a couple of years ago they contributed 20,000 lines of code to the Linux kernel, see http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/07/microsoft-aims... for details.

As for Torvalds' reaction? See http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/07/linus-torvalds... for his thoughts (the original source is behind a paywall or else I'd link to it).

zorked · on July 1, 2011

Around 2000 or so Microsoft had a Windows Media Player binary for Linux and other Unix systems (Solaris, and HP/UX at least). It used to crash a lot but could play some .asf files. If I am not mistaken it was a Motif application.

But MPlayer was released at around that time and it was much better. I don't think anyone actually used WMP for anything and it was discontinued.

This was back when Real.com was THE media juggernaut and Microsoft was trying to catch up. Real had Linux binaries so I think they were just copying the formula.

(Yes, it was called Windows Media Player even under Linux).

gtufano · on July 1, 2011

Around 1999, when I joined Sun, I saw (and used on some site) Internet Explorer 5 for Solaris.

wtracy · on July 1, 2011

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Explorer_for_UNIX

IE for Unix supported a couple "big iron" Unices, but never supported Linux.

hollerith · on July 1, 2011

For what it is worth, the "Halloween document" produced by Microsoft in 1998 claims that Microsoft was distributing a Netmeeting client on Linux. Netmeeting is "videoconferencing" software.

pvarangot · on July 1, 2011

Arround the same time Microsoft Frontpage Extensions for Apache were also available for Linux.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/202198

JonnieCache · on July 1, 2011

The quote is listed on wikiquote, and a number of other quotation lists, but there doesn't seem to be a source or citation that I can find.

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Linus_Torvalds#Unsourced

nlawalker · on July 1, 2011

Won what?

Steko · on July 1, 2011

Life.

It's like when Elmer Fudd realizes he can't kill Buggs and finally says "If you can't beat em join em."

gvb · on July 1, 2011

Total world domination. http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/docs/lkml/#s7-10

neuroelectronic · on July 1, 2011

Circle jerk reddit posts on HN?

bonch · on July 2, 2011

Sorry, but the Android app market is practically insignificant compared to iOS.

jordan0day · on July 2, 2011

I'm not sure what that has to do with... anything?

highpass · on July 2, 2011

Does Office for Mac not count?

shaggyfrog · on July 2, 2011

Mac OS X is based on BSD, not Linux.