Discuss Bill Gates Statement

From: Tom Junior (tbjnospam_at_automateddesign.com)
Date: 02/25/04 

Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 13:50:16 GMT

This is part of an article in PC Mag (MM), which interviewed Bill Gates
(BG). I am hoping people will want to discuss his statements and the
question: Is Linux technically inferior to Windows and, if so, how far
behind?

Thank you to anyone who participates.

MM: There's a perception that Windows is somehow more vulnerable than Mac
or Linux.

BG: It's just not; it's just not. But there's a weird sense that it may
feel like it's true, which is [why] we get attacked more. Our technology
at this point is way better in terms of how few defects we have. Just go
through and compare, say, with Linux, how many defects we have, how
quickly we fix those defects, how our system is for getting the updates
out for those defects. Take those objective criteria, and we are better.

Unfortunately, because our systems are so dense, we have two challenges.
Our systems are so dense—high share—and because people attack us for
glory, there are more attacks. So we need to make sure these attacks can't
succeed. In a sense, by making sure we can block people who try to
[attack] for glory, it actually gives the users this additional benefit
that means we're blocking it for people who are actually maliciously
coming in to steal information. The other operating systems won't be as
far along on that learning curve. But right now, all people can see is
that there's some pain. And even the people who haven't been affected are
somewhat affected because they're worrying, "Jeez, could this happen to
me? Do I have these things right?" And it's a real shame that people have
to read about what a firewall is. It's a nightmare. We and their broadband
providers should say "Hey, here's how you set this thing up, and you will
be fine. Don't let people get you all scared or thinking you have to buy a
bunch of expensive stuff." 

-- 
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