He was able not only to see, but also to list the weaknesses, which Novell tried so hard to hide in the press release (followed by very shallow coverage from the 'press').

In a nutshell, Novell's revenue is down (Netware is dying) and losses continue. Unless Novell can reverse this, it's a leaking ship. And Microsoft won't be around forever to prop it up. Netware is to Novell what UNIX was to SCO. Microsoft also abandoned SCO after a while, because it was no longer able to use it much as when it turned out (in the court, under testimony with oath and all) that Microsoft sent proxies like Larry Goldfarb and BayStar to feed SCO's lawsuits against Linux.

"...Microsoft wished to promote SCO and its pending lawsuit against IBM and the Linux operating system. But Microsoft did not want to be seen as attacking IBM or Linux."

--Larry Goldfarb, Baystar, key investor in SCO

"[Microsoft's] Mr. Emerson and I discussed a variety of investment structures wherein Microsoft would 'backstop,' or guarantee in some way, BayStar's investment.... Microsoft assured me that it would in some way guarantee BayStar's investment in SCO."

--Larry Goldfarb, Baystar, key investor in SCO

"Microsoft hardly needs an SCO source license. Its license payment to SCO is simply a good-looking way to pass along a bribe..."

--Bruce Perens

"On the same day that CA blasted SCO, Open Source evangelist Eric Raymond revealed a leaked email from SCO's strategic consultant Mike Anderer to their management. The email details how, surprise surprise, Microsoft has arranged virtually all of SCO's financing, hiding behind intermediaries like Baystar Capital."

--Bruce Perens