What would it be like? Would people brave trying to fix all the problems in the windows kernel? I wonder what XP source code looks like. How many people would try to fork MS Office? Bt most interesting would be what would happen to the business landscape if all MS products were free. Would Apple die or become larger? Would malware go through the roof, or be extinguished? What would large corporate license holders do with the savings? (would there even be that many savings in comparison to TCO?)
I'm under the impression it's already part of their strategy, and it's probably a cause why most people still use windows. They know they can easily download softwares on torrent websites, and MS is pretty much tolerant about it (as far as it's about individuals, not businesses).
Also you seem to imply MS let every software be torrented intentionnaly. But MS doesn't publish every software in the world and they aren't responsible, nor should they fight, for other software makers's piracy problems.
It's certainly not part of their strategy. More like a pirate post-fact rationalisation line of thinking.
Microsoft derives a lot of income from enterprise licensing and support, so it's not obvious just how much income Microsoft could lose by going open source.
Windows CE had to be abandoned for mobile devices because it had fallen behind Linux-based mobile device OSs. They probably continue to believe Windows is superior to Linux, so they, internally anyway, have a "secret sauce" argument against open source for that.
Perhaps they will have to go truly open source to regain trust after the Prism scandal.
Gabe (number 3) on the other-hand seems to be exactly the right kind of leader, he knows Microsoft and has successfully built a business from scratch -- even competing against MSFT. Clearly he is a little too outspoken, who could make Ballmer look like a quiet personality.
Microsoft should probably just aquire Steam, and trial Gabe as CEO.
At first, I laughed, but the more I think about it that may not be as crazy and hilarious as it looks like at the first sight. No matter what you think about Linus and RMS, they both have leadership qualities.
Have you not seen the best of Ballmer? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8M6S8EKbnU
He was not hostile to commerce. To him, "open source" was a consequence of the nature of software. He considered it the best way, not just the right way, to do software and that it would win out in the end, which it seems to be doing at least in some categories.
Given that one of RMS's baby is Emacs, i find it strange you choose to vote for the fire while hating the frying pan.
