My previous post was from a humorous side by asking the question “What if Microsoft did buy Ubuntu?” which my friend Andrew Seay decided to answer it in the comments of that post. His response is so good that I decided to make it an official post. Whether or not this could actually happen it is fun to hypothesize:

What would happen if Microsoft did “buy” Ubuntu?
1st – All open source code would “mysteriously” self implode leaving no trace it ever existed.
2nd – Integration of IE6.0 for all non EU downloads.
3rd – Silverlight becomes the only supported media player.
4th – Bing becomes the only supported search engine.
5th – The Open Office icon now links to a trial of M$ Office 2007
6th – Win AntiVirus Pro 2006 would release a Premium Ubuntu version.
7th – M$’s marketing department would insist on the creation of a new GSOD (Green Screen of Death) just for Ubuntu to help protect Windows “reputation”.
8th – Ubuntu Server edition while still free + P&H, would no longer be available for download, but only via new boxed edition. (Processing and Handling = $1500 per box + $100 per user license envelope)
9th – We would all learn the “Value of Genuine Ubuntu Software” via a new Activation and Validation process.
10th – There would now be 27 different versions of Ubuntu, priced from the $29 “Emerging Market” Starter Version to Ubuntu Ultimate for $499 (with a free copy of XP virtual machine for TRULY backwards compatibility).