Results 1 to 23 of 23

Thread: What is Microsoft's problem?

Hybrid View

Previous Post Previous Post   Next Post Next Post
  1. #1

    Default Re: What is Microsoft's problem?

    They're cut-throat in their business approach and this is no reason to applaud or admire them.

    M$ don't put out a quality product they merely got lucky back in the days of M$ DOS vs IBM DOS and as a result of this they can now force their software, which is mostly composed of a plaigarised concoction of other developers', down consumers throats.
    Last edited by caravel; 12-29-2007 at 01:44.
    “The majestic equality of the laws prohibits the rich and the poor alike from sleeping under bridges, begging in the streets and stealing bread.” - Anatole France

    "The law is like a spider’s web. The small are caught, and the great tear it up.” - Anacharsis

  2. #2
    L'Etranger Senior Member Banquo's Ghost's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Hunting the Snark, a long way from Tipperary...
    Posts
    5,604

    Default Re: What is Microsoft's problem?

    Quote Originally Posted by caravel
    M$ don't put out a quality product they merely got lucky back in the days of M$ DOS vs IBM DOS and as a result of this they can now force their software, which is mostly composed of a plaigarised concoction of other developers', down consumers throats.
    And therein lies the problem that even Microsoft admirers ought to recognise - monopolies throttle competition, and no competition means precious little innovation.

    I have no doubt that Steve Jobs would be a worse monopolist than Bill Gates - given how he treated Woz, there isn't a philanthropic bone in his body. But because Apple blew their chance, they have to innovate and compete. The Linux and other open source communities do the same. Bill doesn't. The MS approach is to smash competition rather than out-innovate it.

    Microsoft at 55% of market share would be a much better consumer proposition than at its current 94% share. MS customers themselves would be much better off. And it's perfectly possible to have cross-platform standards by agreement rather than by dictat.

    Here's an interesting example of how Bill Gates' philosophy works to the detriment of the wider populace.
    "If there is a sin against life, it consists not so much in despairing as in hoping for another life and in eluding the implacable grandeur of this one."
    Albert Camus "Noces"

  3. #3
    The Black Senior Member Papewaio's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
    Location
    Sydney, Australia
    Posts
    15,677

    Default Re: What is Microsoft's problem?

    Quote Originally Posted by caravel
    They're cut-throat in their business approach and this is no reason to applaud or admire them.

    M$ don't put out a quality product they merely got lucky back in the days of M$ DOS vs IBM DOS and as a result of this they can now force their software, which is mostly composed of a plaigarised concoction of other developers', down consumers throats.
    BUT this is the issue, MS isn't the only one that is doing it, nor is it worst of breed. Virtually every large software and/or hardware company is trying to force their own standards and not use open standards. To point a finger at MS and ignore the rest doesn't show any insight at all nor will it remove the root cause.

    Also as far as market dominance is concerned, MS didn't so much earn it as it was given it by its competitors... all of whom used far more restricted standards... something which MS continues to forget and hence hinder its own market share.

    I find it funny that the ones who do the best are the most open and have a store front where you can buy it... a mix of old fashioned brick and mortar store where consumers can try out the product, a price tag attached (no one appreciates something they get for free) and the ability to use it with as much things as possible. USB devices is one of the growth areas in the world of computing... why because it is one of the most open standards.
    Our genes maybe in the basement but it does not stop us chosing our point of view from the top.
    Quote Originally Posted by Louis VI the Fat
    Pape for global overlord!!
    Quote Originally Posted by English assassin
    Squid sources report that scientists taste "sort of like chicken"
    Quote Originally Posted by frogbeastegg View Post
    The rest is either as average as advertised or, in the case of the missionary, disappointing.

  4. #4
    The very model of a modern Moderator Xiahou's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    in the cloud.
    Posts
    9,007

    Default Re: What is Microsoft's problem?

    Quote Originally Posted by Papewaio
    BUT this is the issue, MS isn't the only one that is doing it, nor is it worst of breed. Virtually every large software and/or hardware company is trying to force their own standards and not use open standards. To point a finger at MS and ignore the rest doesn't show any insight at all nor will it remove the root cause.
    Again, we're talking about the effects. Some little no-name company can my a product and try to bundle it with other software and force their closed, incompatible standards on consumers- but they'll fail. People will buy something else and either the company will change its product or go out of business.

    Microsoft is the only game in town. When they break OpenGL compatibility and force their closed standard on us- people have few options. Once they get a monopoly on graphics with DirectX, they can go ahead and force people to buy their new OS in order to stay up to date with it.

    It's not that they're the only company that behaves in such a way, it's that they are a monopoly that's behaving so heavy handedly. As a consumer, I don't like their practices and don't like them trying to force me into products and standards that they dictate. I don't care when a company I never heard of makes a product I never heard of that does the same thing- it doesn't affect me. Microsoft's tactics affect everyone.

    Quote Originally Posted by Banquo's Ghost
    And therein lies the problem that even Microsoft admirers ought to recognise - monopolies throttle competition, and no competition means precious little innovation.
    "Don't believe everything you read online."
    -Abraham Lincoln

  5. #5

    Default Re: What is Microsoft's problem?

    Quote Originally Posted by Papewaio
    Also as far as market dominance is concerned, MS didn't so much earn it as it was given it by its competitors... all of whom used far more restricted standards... something which MS continues to forget and hence hinder its own market share.
    I disagree with this point. M$ were not handed the OS market by inept competition, they simply got lucky, captured it and then through anti competitive tactics formed an almost total monopoly and have held on to it ever since. There has never really been any competition to speak of apart from GNU/Linux. Any competing proprietary OS was stifled due to not being able to run the same programs as Windows. This and this alone is what secures M$ in their position.

    M$ have shown the world their typical business tactics with the M$ vs Netscape case. Yes if you want to you can congratulate M$ on that one (though luckily it did backfire and lead to Mozilla), but at the end of the day it leaves you, the end user, with less choice and having to pay M$ extortionate prices. Most of the second and third world is rife with pirated M$ software. They are well aware of this and know only too well that there's not a lot they can do about it.

    In fact this situation works very well for M$ with western users paying the premium price for the OS to counter the rest of the world that is using the pirate copies. The proliferation of Pirate windows in China, the far east, South America and in other parts of the world actually does a lot to stifle any potential competition in those areas. It would be hard for a software company in China, for example, to compete with what is in essence a free product.

    “The majestic equality of the laws prohibits the rich and the poor alike from sleeping under bridges, begging in the streets and stealing bread.” - Anatole France

    "The law is like a spider’s web. The small are caught, and the great tear it up.” - Anacharsis

  6. #6
    Clan Takiyama Senior Member R'as al Ghul's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Location
    ignores routers who aren't elite
    Posts
    2,554

    Default Re: What is Microsoft's problem?

    The only hope for Open source software is that governments around the world discover that they can save a load of money when they use OS software. The netherlands have just decided to go OS in the future and others have done so before. If those users realise that the systems work as good or better than MS's than there's hope that they'll install Open source software on their private machines, too.
    If that gets established the game developers sooner or later have to deal with those customers that use a different platform.

    Singleplayer: Download beta_8
    Multiplayer: Download beta_5.All.in.1
    I'll build a mountain of corpses - Ogami Itto, Lone Wolf & Cub
    Sometimes standing up for your friends means killing a whole lot of people - Sin City, by Frank Miller

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Single Sign On provided by vBSSO