Extortion & Bad Technology
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| Fettoosh Jan 13, 2012 11:05 AM EDT |
Quoting:Financial details of the agreement were not revealed. ... Microsoft has long maintained that certain components of Android and Chrome OS violate its patents, ... If we heard this one time we heard it a million times. Keeping those certain components obscure for so long is an indication of how weak the patents claims are and should be the basis of suing MS for extortion. I applaud Barnes & Nobel for taking this route. Quoting:Microsoft said the deal with LG means that 70% of Android-based smartphones sold in the U.S. are now covered by its licensing program. If manufacturers of CE devices are willing to pay handsomely just to use other technology than Microsoft's and to avoid using MS products like a plague is a clear indication of how much better that technology is and how bad MS products are. To some, paying a little makes more sense and may be worth avoiding a lengthy & costly litigation. Good going MS. |
| JaseP Jan 13, 2012 11:42 AM EDT |
M$ is going the way of the dodo & the Tasmanian wolf,... |
| jacog Jan 13, 2012 11:42 AM EDT |
If Barnes & Noble are successful with their anti-MS crusade, then all these companies who just bent over without a fight are going to feel a bit silly. |
| lxerguest Jan 13, 2012 12:11 PM EDT |
Barnes and Noble revealed and challenged the weak and pathetic nature of those secret MS IP claims.Because of that I bought books from B&N instead of Amazon for the first time ever.Though I realize I'm part of a teeny weeny minority who buys on the basis of how the purchase affects me in the long run , rather than "rationally" picking up whatever genetically-modified or slave labour produced crap is cheaper short term. |
| JaseP Jan 13, 2012 12:11 PM EDT |
Silly?!?! I can think of a few more emotional states that would be more descriptive. |
| caitlyn Jan 13, 2012 1:57 PM EDT |
Quoting:M$ is going the way of the dodo & the Tasmanian wolf,...I wish that were true. Sadly this is just the usual FOSS supporter's wishful thinking. Microsoft is in no danger of extinction. They will always come up with a way to make lots of money by hook or by crook. Extortion? That doesn't require spending R&D dollars or developing anything. It's a great way to make money. |
| skelband Jan 13, 2012 2:31 PM EDT |
I just love the way that Microsoft call this their "program". Makes it sound like something nice, like they're doing everyone a big favour or something. |
| JaseP Jan 13, 2012 3:07 PM EDT |
@ caitlyn: I disagree. They are losing mindshare faster than revenue. They need mindshare to stay in the forefront. They're in a downward spiral, and they know it. They can't stem the tide for too long... OSes are becoming commodities, as are Office Suites, etc. They have (loads of) money now,... but it won't last forever. They are desperate. That's why we see these agreements and their other dirty tricks. Their only real choice is to become a solutions & content provider, instead of a software company ... But I get the feeling they're too thick to realize it. |
| caitlyn Jan 13, 2012 3:10 PM EDT |
What evidence do you have that MS is losing mindshare? I mainly serve small and medium sized businesses. These are the revenue engines for Microsoft and I can tell you that selling anything at all that isn't Windows is very tough in this space. The consumer desktop isn't moving in any other direction either. |
| JaseP Jan 13, 2012 4:41 PM EDT |
PCs sales are declining, and will likely continue that way. M$ has plans to lay off large numbers of people in their marketing department. Win8 is late to market against competition from iOS & Android. M$ mobile sales are nonexistent (once a market leader). They are losing browser market share to Chrome. They have no ARM platform yet (Win8 late again), while competing devices are getting cheaper, faster & more capable. People aren't adopting Win7 in any significant numbers. Developers are focusing on other platforms, like mobile. Embedded devices are replacing PCs for many tasks. PC prices are generally dropping, making software a higher percentage of the cost ... Shall I continue?!?! |
| gus3 Jan 13, 2012 5:26 PM EDT |
@caitlyn, take a look at their advertising campaigns over the last five years. The ads that were thought to be "innovative" turned out to be disasters. Jerry Seinfeld's wiggling tuchus? A vacuous blonde hosting a Windows 7 release party? The only innovative idea to come out of Redmond lately is the Kinect. Everything else is Ballmer trying to jump on someone else's bandwagon. Here's the clincher: People see this! If you don't believe me, try this simple experiment. Count how many people you know who use Windows, MacOS, and *nux. Then count how many of them could qualify as "fanbois". For so many installations, Windows has precious few rah-rah types by comparison. It is not liked, it is merely tolerated. And I dare you to say otherwise, with a straight face. |
| tracyanne Jan 13, 2012 5:41 PM EDT |
Other than on line, most of the people i know either love Windows or don't understand what an operating system is. But I don't get to talk to many computer tech tech types where I am. BTW the ones who do love Windows are the computer tech types. |
| Fettoosh Jan 13, 2012 5:47 PM EDT |
Good list JaseP. As a technology company, MS is dwindling. As a business, not so much as they have Billions in various investments. |
| Fettoosh Jan 13, 2012 5:50 PM EDT |
Quoting:BTW the ones who do love Windows are the computer tech types. They love it for the job security it creates. |
| Ridcully Jan 13, 2012 6:18 PM EDT |
There is however, another aspect and I think it strongly supports JaseP's contention. In this past week, I made it my business to drop into the local Telstra phone store and spent a nice 10 minutes getting information. My saleslady source informed me that the kids will not touch Windows smart phones. They are lucky to sell one every month or so. Android and Apple rule, especially Android. These kids are no longer being indoctrinated with a Windows laptop or desktop; they don't use them and better still are running a Linux platform for their user-consumer based computing needs. As a result, these kids are growing up in a world where smartphones (and pads) are the user platforms; and those platforms are no longer dominated by the Windows OS. I have also seen market statistics that show that laptop and desktop sales are not only stagnant but falling in the mature world economies. I am no longer surprised that Redmond is nearly frantic to break into the smart phone markets, but given the massive rejection that I see, I remain convinced that Microsoft has been left on the platform and the train is several stations down the line. I think what we are seeing definitely is a mindshift in the younger generation as they view computing more as something done on a smartphone or a pad.....and Windows no longer rules on those devices. Certainly the other straws in the wind are the moves by Microsoft to turn to litigation and royalties rather than innovation - or at least that is my perception. And as these kids move up through the social and business strata, I think they will be open to options other than "Windows on every computer". |
| Khamul Jan 13, 2012 6:45 PM EDT |
@gus3: You talked about MS's ad campaigns; how could you possibly leave out the MSN campaigns a while ago with those stupid butterflies??? They even had people dressed as butterflies running around the streets of NYC! That had to be one of the most embarrassing ad campaigns in all of history. BTW, I'm pretty sure the Kinect was mostly done by an Israeli company. The Israelis did the hardware, and MS did some of the software; who had the real innovative ideas is probably only known to the inside players. As for MS fanbois, there's a bunch of them on Slashdot, and on other tech blogs. Of course, there's a theory that they're mostly paid shills or employees, but I've met enough (non-MS-employed) Windows-lovers IRL that I think a lot of them really do like it. |
| gus3 Jan 13, 2012 7:14 PM EDT |
@Khamul, my point is that the fanboi population makes up a smaller percentage of the Windows user base than does the same segment in the Mac/*nux user base. |
| JaseP Jan 13, 2012 7:14 PM EDT |
@Khamul: You are correct about the Kinect... An Israeli Co. created the tech (hey, that almost rhymes). And yes, paid M$ shills are called TEs. I forget what the term means. |
| jdixon Jan 13, 2012 8:21 PM EDT |
> People aren't adopting Win7 in any significant numbers. That's not true. Businesses will be rolling out Windows 7 in mass over the next year, as they prepare for the eventual shutdown of support for Windows XP. This is made all the more necessary by the fact that many of them never upgraded to Vista and have been using those XP machines since they got them, in some cases for almost 10 years. |
| JaseP Jan 13, 2012 8:37 PM EDT |
And many will reconsider, and go with thin clients running web apps, especially those who have switched their infrastructure to web based utilities served on intranets. Many older PCs won't run Win7. Look at these plug computers than aren't much bigger than a USB key drive ... If a company has their employees running browser based apps only, those things, at $100 a pop, look better than a $700 PC. |
| tracyanne Jan 13, 2012 9:53 PM EDT |
@Fettoosh, Quoting:They love it for the job security it creates. You say that like it's a bad thing to want job security. However, that isn't my perception. If that was all it was then, as they are technical people, they have the choice, when it comes to personal use. After all the fact that the only jobs I've been able to get in the last 15 years has been on Windows platforms, and that has never stopped me from using Linux for everything else in my life, since 2000. No they genuinely love Windows, and don't bother with anything else, not even Mac. |
| Fettoosh Jan 13, 2012 10:10 PM EDT |
Jdixson & JaseP, You both are right and this debate could go for a long time, but it all boils down and depends on the usage. Also, old school IT managers are already set in their own ways and they are not going to rock the boat, especially when their budgets and resources pretty much established and available. Unless companies have a good reason, like strapped for funds or have forward thinking IT managers who would utilize new IT advances, they are not going to change their old ways. But with so many new devices being made available for a lot less cost, the face of IT in the enterprise is definitely changing, and MS is not going to be the big dominant player it once was. |
| jdixon Jan 13, 2012 11:39 PM EDT |
> And many will reconsider, and go with thin clients running web apps, especially those who have switched their infrastructure to web based utilities served on intranets. I've seen some movement in that direction, including some feasibility studies and test rollouts, but not much uptake. My present company is using thin clients for certain specific purposes. They've considered more universal usage (especially to access virtual desktops), but haven't been able to get that working to their satisfaction yet. Management seems to really like the idea though. > Unless companies have a good reason, like strapped for funds or have forward thinking IT managers who would utilize new IT advances, they are not going to change their old ways. Pretty much, yes. Thus, the more successful the company, the slower change tends to be. |
| Khamul Jan 14, 2012 2:14 AM EDT |
@JaseP: I believe "TE" stands for "technical evangelist". That's pretty bad when you have to pay people to run around and shill your product and bash the competition, instead of using more traditional marketing techniques. But MS is no stranger to such unethical tactics; though they didn't invent the term "astroturf" (as applies to online matters), it was their own actions that caused the term to be invented. They've been astroturfing for ages. Also, I should have added that all the non-MS-employee fanbois I've met IRL weren't simply home or business customers, they made their living by being an expert on MS's junk: Windows Server system administrators, developers using MS programming products/technologies exclusively, IT support people, etc. I don't think I've ever met someone who was just a user (for home or work) of Windows and really liked it; either they were indifferent (they use it because it's available and it's what all the PC software is for), or said nasty comments about it every time they ran into a problem. @Fettoosh: Correct about companies not wanting to change their old ways, but eventually a lot of these will go under after being out-competed by their more forward-thinking competitors. Just look at HP for an example of a huge company about to implode (not necessarily because of MS cr@pware, but lots old old and bad ways throughout the organization). Newer companies are more likely to think about other platforms besides MS, I think. |
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