Don't be fooled by a sweetheart deal, said Linspire CEO Michael Robertson. Companies -- and government organizations -- deliberating whether to buy Windows or Linux may find themselves tempted by a sweet price cut from Microsoft. But, Robertson cautioned, this may be the proverbial free first hit -- after which the customer becomes hooked, and the price, in one form or another, soars higher and higher.After the stirrings that Microsoft might be gaining a contract with the Dutch government caught his attention, he posted an open offer to the Dutch prime minister, proposing that he could sell them a superior desktop operating system at a lower price. In this interview, Robertson sounds off on Microsoft's business strategies around the world, and the tide that is flowing toward Linux.
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