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Re: A little Microsoft levity



Saying that Microsoft is just an OS company is way off base though.  They are a
software company.  Their Office products are the best in the world, and they
produce just about every type of software imaginable.

Should they be forced to limit the functionality of their OS just because they
might hurt someone's feelings?  No.

If you have seen Explorer 4.0 with the whole OS integration, you'll have noticed
one thing for sure.  Using the browser model of the OS desktop makes sense.  It
is easy to use, just as powerful as anything else, and it drastically reduces
the learning curve.  Now you can surf your hard drive as easily as the internet.

Forcing Microsoft to separate its browser and OS divisions completely would
severely reduce the functionality of their new desktop.  It would not be fair to
restrict their software, just as it would not be fair for them to tell Sun how
to code their Java Virtual Machine.

I agree that they should not leverage their OS dominance to market other
products that are completely unrelated, but in this case, the browser is
related.  Besides, you can still purchase Netscape, load it, and use it as the
default browser.  I don't know what kind of configuration problems the Mac users
are having, but there are no conflicts on the PC.

If I owned a Mac, I would use Netscape anyway.  It's a good browser and it's up
to date on the Mac.  Netscape is not dead, and the last time I checked, they
still had the most marketshare.

But Netscape could run into the same kinds of problems Apple did years ago.
They were approched by Gates to combine marketing forces, and they refused.
They also didn't license out their product so that more people could promote it.
Big mistake.

I'm not suggesting that they combine with Microsoft.  But they need to be more
proactive in their marketing.  All of this crying foul and suing the big, bad
giant didn't get Apple anywhere, and it won't work for Netscape either.

Chernoff's earlier comments were right.  You can't fault Microsoft for being the
Kings of the marketing game.  You just have to do a better job.

By the way, name one company that wouldn't love to be in Microsoft's shoes. Just
one.

-----Original Message-----
From: John Carvalho <jcarvalh@email.unc.edu>
To: jomc191@listserv.oit.unc.edu <jomc191@listserv.oit.unc.edu>
Date: Tuesday, November 04, 1997 9:54 PM
Subject: A little Microsoft levity


>
>First, something that was forwarded to me:
>
>
>Windows 95:
>
>32 bit extensions and a graphical shell for a
>16 bit patch to an
>8 bit operating system originally coded for a
>4 bit microprocessor, written by a
>2 bit company, that can't stand
>1 bit of competition.
>
>Second, to build off of what Paul said, the point is NOT that Microsoft
>has everyone using their OS.  I use it.
>
>The argument comes when Microsoft starts using its advantage in the OS
>market to unfairly influence competition in other, non-OS areas.
>
>An analogy would be a daily newspaper, (let's admit) a legal monopoly and
>a local printed shopper.  The shopper is starting to attract advertisers
>away from the newspaper.  So the newspaper decides to cut its ad rates for
>the shopper and create "package" deals -- buy an ad in the newspaper, get
>an ad in the shopper for $1.
>
>The point is not the newspaper's expertise in serving its audience.  That
>expertise, however, does not give it the right to eliminate competition in
>other, more open areas.
>
>John Carvalho
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