Microsoft Hatred FAQ

[David Schwartz]

"John-Paul Stewart" <jpstewart at binaryfoundry.ca> wrote in message 
news:pjv133-pjn.ln1 at mail.binaryfoundry.ca...

> David Schwartz wrote:

>> If nobody wants these operating systems, then it doesn't hurt him not to 
>> be able to sell them. If people want them, then he could have shown 
>> Microsoft the door.
>
> If only 5% want another operating system, the vendor has to choose between 
> selling to those 5% -or- to the 95% who want Microsoft.  Had it not been 
> for the underhanded tactics, he could have sold to *both* groups.
>
> From a purely economic standpoint, the sensible thing is to accept that 
> 95% and let the 5% go elsewhere.
>
> But if *every* vendor has to make that same choice, there is no place for 
> that other 5% to go to buy another operating system.  So the other 
> operating system(s) die off.  And those 5% become customers of Microsoft 
> since there's no other choice left.  And *that* is where the legal 
> problems start:  they gained market share by preventing consumers from 
> finding competing products.

    Right, except that's utterly absurd. If every vendor takes their tiny 
cut of the 95%, a huge cut of the 5% is starting to look *REALLY* good.

    DS