Microsoft Hatred FAQ

[Jeroen Wenting]

"Mike Meyer" <mwm at mired.org> wrote in message 
news:86ll0vs1sw.fsf at bhuda.mired.org...
> "Jeroen Wenting" <jwenting at hornet dot demon dot nl> writes:
>>>>    Q: Microsoft's Operating System is used over 90% of PCs. If that's
>>>>not monopoly, i don't know what is.
>>> They got where they are  by CHEATING.  That is why they are evil, not
>>> because they have a large market share.
>> no, they got their by clever marketing and generally having a product 
>> that
>> was easier to use for the average user than anything the competition made
>> and a lot more powerful than other products created for their main target
>> market.
>
> What you call "clever marketing" the DOJ calls "monopolistic
> practices". The courts agreed with the DOJ. Having had several large
> PC manufacturers refuse to sell me a system without some form of
> Windows because MS made it impossible for them to compete if they
> didn't agree to do so, I agree with the courts and the DOJ.
>
And were later forced to rescind. The judge who wrote that opinion is well 
known for his anti-Microsoft activism.

>> Prices would be far far higher than they are today
>
> I disagree. Before Gates decided to sell BASIC, software was very
> cheap.  It started getting cheap again in the late 80s. Now that cheap
> software is threatening MS, they're doing their best to shut down all
> the sources of quality cheap software, with there usual disregard for
> truth, legality, ethics or the good of either the customer or their
> business partners.
>
WordPerfect (to take an example) cost several thousand dollars.
When Microsoft released Office 4 for a few hundred WP was forced to lower 
prices radically, and so was Lotus (to name a few).


>> IBM's prediction that there would be 5 computers (not counting game
>> computers like the Comodores and Spectrums) by 2000 would likely have 
>> come
>> true.
>
> I see. You're a troll.
>
nope, I'm just sick and tired of trolls like you calling everyone who 
doesn't share their hatred of Microsoft a troll.