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» VIEW ALL POSTS Sep 16 2008   11:53AM GMT

Microsoft attacks VMware with poker chips



Posted by: Colin Steele
Microsoft, Virtualization, News, VMware

LAS VEGAS — Microsoft has a booth here at VMworld 2008, but they’re not being a very good guest in VMware’s house.

microsoft poker chip

On my way through the Venetian this morning, I — along with several other attendees — passed a man who handed us poker chips wrapped in cardboard. The chip is a real $1 Venetian chip that I will undoubtedly lose at the blackjack table tonight. But the packaging is much more interesting. Check it out for yourself.

As you can see to the right, it says: “Looking for your best bet? You won’t find it with VMware.” Then it plugs a new website, www.vmwarecostswaytoomuch.com. Wow. That’s like going to a house party and telling the hosts to visit your new website, www.yourfoodsucksandyourhousesmellslikeg….

These poker chips are just the latest in a recent line of snippy comments between VMware, the virtualization market leader, and Microsoft, its new, formidable challenger. Just last week, VMware issued a blog attacking Microsoft’s Get Virtual Now event. And Carl Eschenbach, VMware’s executive VP of field ops, yesterday made fun of the fact that Microsoft Hyper-V won’t have live migration until 2010.

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Jason Willey  |   Sep 17 2008   5:13AM GMT

This looks like a prank to me. The biggest reason I doubt this is for real is that the domain isn’t registered to Microsoft, but to an individual.

I’d be curious to see if anyone at Microsoft admits to being behind it. If it is a prank.. looks like an expensive one.


 

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