Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/1999/05/27/did_compaq_and_ms_try/

Did Compaq and MS try to buy linux.com?

If they did, it was surely in the 'what a smart move - NOT' category...

By John Lettice

Posted in On-Prem, 27th May 1999 09:48 GMT

Updated As suggested here earlier, a whole stash of companies either made bids for or expressed interest in linux.com when it came up for sale. A reader directs us to news.com, which reported the matter here when VA Research's bid was accepted. Can't win them all... Apparently the domain owner, Fred van Kempen, had insisted on both money and a business plan for the domain, so sheer cash wouldn't be enough, and VA certainly didn't match the top offer of $5.5 million. The Compaq offer was reportedly made by Digital before the takeover, and the Microsoft offer is denied by Microsoft. But HP and Red Hat were also in the list, while sniffs were received from IBM, Dell and Novell. ®