I don't know if the intentions of M$ or RHAT reside in releasing bugs intentionally. Sometimes the picture does seem like it is an intentional thing. I doubt that either make their respective products inferior just to sell support.
To sell support, no. Microsoft *has* been known to release a product earlier in order to make more money by hitting a key season like back-to-school or Christmas, even if that product was too buggy for a real release and crashed hard. I'm thinking in particular of Word 6.0, which was followed in rapid-fire succession by 6.0a, then 6.0b, and finally 6.0c before the damn thing became usable. Released too early to make the Christmas season.
Some companies do pull shady stunts like that, actively hurting their users and not caring just to make one more almighty buck. These are what is known as "unethical" companies (a new term for some, I know) and you are generally advised not to do business with people who don't give a damn about your welfare since you tend to end up getting hurt somehow.
If someone thinks that Red Hat is an unethical company, I would strongly and sincerely encourage him or her to take his or her business elsewhere to a supplier they consider trustworthy. I would also remind them that whining about their perceptions and hinting at conspiracy theories on this list is a pain in the ass and helps no one. I happen to believe that Red Hat is one of the many *ethical* companies out there, and I'm trying to use their products and help others. More signal, less noise!
Cheers,
-- Rodolfo J. Paiz rpaiz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx http://www.simpaticus.com
