back to article Visual Studio 2010 opens Windows to outside help

Microsoft reckons Windows is top dog, but that hasn't stopped the giant from cracking open the door in Visual Studio 2010 to some outside help. Bob Muglia, Windows server and tools chief, presided over Microsoft's other - less glamorous - Monday product launch, by pushing Windows on PCs, servers, and mobile and the nascent Azure …


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Windows Phone 7 certainly is a walled garden

I agree with the assessment that Microsoft's coming Windows Phone 7 is a Microsoft walled garden. Look at its Marketplace app store. Once you go in, there is no way to get out. Microsoft locks the door to prevent you from obtaining apps from anywhere else. That fits the definition of a walled garden in my books. Again look at Microsoft's KIN, another walled garden, and a prelude to WP7.

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Is MS scared?

If so, what of?

As far as I can tell, Linux* is still no threat, nor is Apple. Or is Linux a major part of the cloud-world (something I have nothing to do with) and giving MS cause for concern? Or have they some crystal ball and can see a paradigm shift coming (Linux** on mobiles, set-top boxes etc).

Their talk of "community" amuses me. All the "communities" I am involved with have rather open and frank debates, usually with the oh-so-precious code clearly visible, showing its warts to one and all. Anyone is free to update, add-to or even fork the project. No way in hell MS will truly engage with any community in what one could call and "open" manner.

MS do make some good GUI tools. Previous versions of VisualStudio have had quite a few things going for them. If MS want to help a community, how's about they help the already flourishing Eclipse community? Hmm, wossat? Not a chance in hell? Yeah, thought as much, just more empty words and double-talk from the Beast of Redmond.

If they actually did what they said they wanted to do, then they might just get a positive response. Instead I think we'll just see more words and then another lawsuit or something.

*Sub 1% penetration - but it does depend a lot on how you slice 'n dice the figures.

**I say "Linux", but it really could be any non-MS OS. e.g. BSD, Haiku...

Anonymous Coward

Dear Microsoft..

So, the idea is to have everyone else do the work for you?

Sorry. You ain't Linux, and you're far from free in any sense of the word. What might work when there's a bit of quid pro quo in the equation is unlikely to fly when it's a rather expensive product that damned well should be fully-featured to begin with.

Asking the community that you tried for decades to kill, to now come and help you out? Fuck off.

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