$91m / 49000 = $1857 per license?

Unless Microsoft sells some kind of Unix/Linux it would seem to me that obliterating the likes of Novell is its main goal. First Microsoft destroyed their Netware business and now they're doing the same with their Linux business. The deal they made with Microsoft was a trojan horse - they now have a Linux deal tainted by Microsoft. In the year after they signed the deal, they lost money, what does that tell you? I'm not sure Microsoft is entirely to blame, Novell has been on self-destruct for years, whether from their disastrous ownership of WordPerfect to buying SUSE rather than developing their own Linux distro.

Ah, the engineer hoist by his own petard...

Still, when Oracle announced their "Unbreakable Linux" plan last year, shares in RedHat plummeted immediately. Since then RedHat has recovered well and is almost back to strength. Seemingly, when it comes to value of service, you just can't beat good ol' fashioned professional aptitude.

These "late developers" (no pun) seem to think that a bit of cash-splashing and a lot of marketing can get them Linux golden eggs. However, as with WorldOnline here in The Netherlands a few years ago, hot air cools quickly and falls eventually downward.

Cormac