11-21-2003, 01:00 AM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Not Even Microsoft Will Last Forever, but They Plan to Try
"The step after ubiquity is invisibility. Last week, I wrote about the peculiar business psychology of Microsoft, and this week, we cut to the chase -- what it all really means. And the key idea lies in that first sentence. Microsoft's goal has always been to make Windows ubiquitous, but achieving that goal will ultimately be the company's doom. And at the highest reaches of Microsoft, they know it. What was the personal computing revolution has turned into just another part of the electronics business, and even mighty Microsoft risks being commoditized to death. It is already happening. Don't think so? We live in the age of branding and the Microsoft, Windows, and Office brands are among the best-known in any industry, yet how many people actually buy software from Microsoft BECAUSE it's from Microsoft? See?"
Every week I enjoy reading Robert X. Cringley's editorials, but this week's editorial left me feeling a bit queasy. In the back of my mind, I knew this was the transaction play that Microsoft was going for, but Cringley spells it out so clearly it's a little frightening. :worried: Let's hope things don't turn out the way he's predicting...
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11-21-2003, 01:26 AM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 556
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Guess I should still hold onto my old Win 98 CD's...maybe I'll make a few bucks in the far future... :wink:
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11-21-2003, 02:40 AM
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Thinker
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 309
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now i�m depressed. :cry: :cry:
Should we all go with linux? Let the penguin kick M$!!! 
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This site should go the way of msmobiles.com. Forget WM and start talking android. Androidthoughts.com
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11-21-2003, 03:05 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 135
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I think market force will decide- if they really do great products I think afterall people will pay for them; While if quality wise they go worse and worse, I think there are just far too much alternatives on the market.
Also, I think the guy is a bit too exaggregating... even looking at GE, do they charge customer in such unreasonable situation? I dont think so, look at what is Six Sigma for them... then you will actually realize they emphasis on customer satisifaction more than how to charge. Also I think the problem of M$ now is the fast growth of product (Windows Mobile, Windows Server, .NET... I think the past 1-2 yrs are the fastest growing ever time of MS products) their service just not catching up instead... Not the case they dont want to do better, but it is far to difficult sometimes.
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11-21-2003, 04:05 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 73
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You can say what you want about exaggeration, but one thing in that article simply can't be shrugged off. When Microsoft disables their own search tools to prevent people from getting information, you know hell, fire, and brimstone are coming.
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11-21-2003, 05:20 AM
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Pupil
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 25
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Well, it perfectly follows the new licensing strategy which is an even more interesting topic that the author thankfully skipped (it's been all over the anti-MS sites like slashdot).
I don't know, I think they're just getting going, and I also believe that the ramifications are tremendous. I don't think the average joe really understands how pervasive and revolutionary high-tech is still yet to become. But I'll bet the execs at MS do!
But I have faith as a free-market capitalist. Every force has an equal opposite force, every action has a re-action. Most people simply don't comprehend how serious of a threat open source software is to not just MS, but to many industries in general. MS needs to make immidate and dramatic steps to cut OS off at the pass. It will fail, but will generate a lot of money before then. Ironically, MS created open source with their business practices, it forced a niche in the market. The more MS pushes the more others will push back. And how funny that you push back charging nothing for software that is better, or as good as MS software. Look at IIS and apache over the last 5 years. IIS hasn't made any in roads. Or php versus asp. etc etc.
I'm a sysadmin. I work with a lot of software, a lot of platforms. I don't do a thing with MS anymore, simply because I abhore mediocrity in my tools.
For example, my linux box is fully automated. One command and my Canon G3 uploads the entire CF card to my hard drive, creates thumbnails and a index.html file for browsing and finishes with a backup to CD-R. Sure I could do this with windows using MS tools, but then I'm locked into that - it's much better for my career to learn industry tools such as shell and perl. But that's a poor example.
I have no DVD restrictions. I can view any type of video file in existance. I can keep my system easily up to date (it's gentoo), it's fully optimized to my hardware. I can handle and manipulate any filesystem, any file format (including MS office in OpenOffice). Finally my digital images look much sharper in linux due to the quality of the rendering software. Well, the videos look better too. I also have TIVO functionality. It costs me nothing.
All of it is free. No copyright restriction either. I don't steal a thing, and I really appreciate being able to easily rip my entire CD collection.
All of it is and was free. There's even professional video editing tools available... for free.
Funny, because I use MS more then ever now that I have a pocket pc. Palm just stinks. But I'm sure this is probably temporary. If anything, maybe I can configure Wine or VMware to allow me to run outlook and sync to my pcket pc.
Anyway, I'm rambling, but I think we on the edge of a very interesting time.
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11-21-2003, 06:03 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 147
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Blah blah blah...
I've heard this same tone and these same accusations for over a decade! When has it ever come to pass? Why should I believe that this will ever happen? Just because some guy draws some conclusions based on a few facts? It seems to me that there could be a billion other explanations for Microsoft's actions than the ones he uses to bolster his editorial.
I don't understand why people think they have the right to demand that Microsoft provide free support information! What company provides more technical support than Microsoft?!? TechNet may be gone, but MSDN is not.
All of this whining and complaining makes me sick. If you don't like the way that they do business, don't use them. But don't whine about all the free stuff they offered that is no longer free. Don't build up this huge conspiricy theory about how Microsoft is trying to take over the world. We've been hearing it for years, and I think it's time to get over it.
Sorry if this incites a riot. Just my opinion.
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Jonathan Rogers
Email
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11-21-2003, 09:27 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,329
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Hmmmm maybe a pole shift....Apple's rise to dominance and Microsoft's fall from the limelight?
:crazyeyes: Wait. Steve Jobs running a company with a 90% market share is scarier then even a Microsoft run world. I think I've just officially scared myself. *goes and hides under his bed* :worried:
To be honest I would like to live in a world where MS owned only 60% of the desktop market. (The rest split between Linux and Apple) It would drive competition and keep MS from pulling some of the questionable tactics they've pulled in the past. *shrugs*
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PDA History: Palm Pilot 5000 -> Apple Newton 2100 -> Casio E-11 -> iPaq 3650 (64MB Upgrade) -> iPaq 3700 -> Casio EM-500 -> HP Jornada 568 -> HP iPaq hx4705 www.spreadfirefox.com |
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11-21-2003, 09:32 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,329
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Re: Blah blah blah...
Quote:
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Originally Posted by JonathanWardRogers
All of this whining and complaining makes me sick. If you don't like the way that they do business, don't use them. .
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Kinda hard not to do business with them when they are the business. Talking computers without dealing with Microsoft is like dealing with a car without the nuts and bolts. It's the whole 90% market share thing. You can't get away from that and it won't change for a long time as long as MS has what? Couple billion in the bank??? and a 90% market share. Contrary to what Linux users say MS is here for a LOOOOONG while.
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PDA History: Palm Pilot 5000 -> Apple Newton 2100 -> Casio E-11 -> iPaq 3650 (64MB Upgrade) -> iPaq 3700 -> Casio EM-500 -> HP Jornada 568 -> HP iPaq hx4705 www.spreadfirefox.com |
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11-21-2003, 11:51 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 105
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Well, we can dream can't we .
to a bright future without MS's stranglehold on invention.
Since Windows 3.1, all MS have done is make their OS more complicated, the only difference between 3.1 and XP is thousands more goddam settings.
That may be a simplistic and incomplete statement, but THINK about it, my PC takes longer to boot up and close down that my old 286 on 3.1 did.
There is a realisation that Smartphones are too complicated for the average user, so the industry is pushing for simpler interfaces and consumer training.
WILL SOMEONE TELL MICROSOFT ABOUT THIS!!!!!!!!!!!
The modern processor could be so much, it wil never realise it's potential while slaving for Microsoft.
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