Some would argue that ODF advocates discredit OOXML advocates, but as Jan van den Beld proves, they are almost always paid by Microsoft in some form or another (watch this profile). On the contrary, the vast majority of ODF advocates simply want fair competition and the right to popularise Free software in the office suites market, especially if merits permit this, bar lock-in.

A lot of Microsoft news can paint a grim picture. The following accumulation of news from the past week will hopefully shed light on the problems Microsoft as a whole is facing. It is well deserved.

Here's a Microsoft quote on Mozilla:

It's now possible for public school districts in California (and maybe Iowa) to acquire decent Free Open Source Software computers, courtesy of Microsoft. The purpose of this article is to lay out the basic process involved, because the documentation available on the official websites is murky, at best. Hopefully this article will summarize the process a bit.

Things need to change and Apple needs to be seen for what it really is: a threat to innovation and freedom. For as long as anyone can remember Microsoft has been seen as the primary enemy of free and open source software (FOSS).

A lot of open source advocates like to rage against the machine at Microsoft, but when a former Microsoft Research employee says that Windows 7 won't stop Linux from market domination, that's an opinion to note.

On several occasions in the past we wrote about Microsoft hiding evidence of its real financial health. Well, this old paper-and-ink routine seems to have run out of stamina because Microsoft reported a significant drop in profits and its stock tanked. Here it is from Microsoft’s ‘back yard’ press, whose bias — if any — typically works in Microsoft’s favour.

The world’s most popular operating system is Windows, which is made by the Microsoft Corporation. Linux has no links with Windows at all. Microsoft doesn’t contribute anything to Linux and, in fact, is rather hostile toward it, because it threatens Microsoft’s market dominance. This means that installing Linux can give you an entirely Microsoft-free PC. How enticing does that sound?

According to Microsoft, Google's Android OS is infringing on many of its patents and hence those manufacturers who use Android for their devices owe royalties to Microsoft.