Free Software Foundation trashes Windows 7

There's nothing like trashing the competition.

And that's exactly what the Free Software Foundation plans to do on Wednesday, staging a demonstration in Boston where it will encourage businesses to throw away Microsoft Windows in favor of free alternatives.

In addition to the public display, the foundation is sending letters to the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, warning that Windows is a threat to their businesses' privacy, security, and freedom.

Although the demonstration and letter center around Microsoft's imminent release of Windows 7, Free Software Foundation Executive Director Peter Brown says the protest has to do with Microsoft's approach in general and not with the specifics of Windows 7.

"Any time Microsoft tries to push them to a new version, it's a good time to make that case," Brown said in a telephone interview on Tuesday.

With Windows 7 getting fairly positive reviews, Brown said he knows it could be tougher to garner public support than was the case with the oft-criticized Vista.

"There's kind of this attitude of 'Well, it's better than Vista,'" Brown said, "so we are kind of working against the grain."

:story: Full story: c|net