SPSS now available for Linux; Ballmer vs. Red Hat?

The famous statistics tool SPSS is now available for Linux. It is a good example for the fact that Linux also arrives in the market for specialized software. In other news, Microsoft’s Ballmer again attacked Linux. This time he attacked Red hat directly and spread his FUD against Red Hat’s customers.

SPSS now available for Linux

SPSS, an often used statistics program can now be used with Linux and is even officially supported on RHEL 4 and Debian 3.1. This is due to the fact that SPSS was reworked for the v16 release. It is now implemented using Java.

This step is in so far important that it is a good example that more and more specialized software is available on Linux just like it is available for the other two environments. It is another, but important brick in the wall.
Also, SPSS is widely used in many universities and science institutions at least in Germany, and it makes a switch to Linux easier when such applications are available on Linux.

Btw., technically I would have preferred if SPSS had used Qt for multi platform support, but you can’t have everything (on my machines Java applications most often *really* look ugly…).

Ballmer vs Red Hat?

I just read Ballmer’s newest attack against Linux and I wonder what Red Hat will do against it. While I am not a lawyer I wonder if Ballmer’s statements could not be used to sue Microsoft:

People who use Red Hat, at least with respect to our intellectual property, in a sense have an obligation to compensate us

Keep in mind that Red Hat is a company with customers. And as a company Red Hat has to make sure that the customers feel secure and don’t have to fear anything.
Of course it is unlikely that Microsoft really attacks Red Hat customers since the claims are questionable. Also, for the worst case Red Hat is a member of the Open Innovation Network and also has its Open Assurance Program. Nevertheless Ballmer’s statements spread FUD and therefore might damage Red Hat’s reputation.

Out of this situation it would make sense for Red Hat to sue Microsoft so that they are not allowed anymore to make such statements. At least in Germany such a thing is allowed, and I guess the US has similar laws. Of course this would result in a law suit but sometimes such things have to be done.

Let’s see if Red Hat will respond to this newest attack…