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Just get over it. You guys just fester and stew and that just breeds more bitterness out of frustration. Channel that energy for good not bullshit. We don't need another opinionated column notifying us that MS got greeedy, they broke the law and the did unethical things. For crying out loud We know that. Enough already. The US and the EU both handed down their wrath. But lets be honest about it. It had no affect. Gimme a break, take Windows Media Player out??!?!?! Oh yeah, that's worse than bamboo shoots under Bill's nails. I'm laughing so hard, I need a sip of that Koolaid!
I will not argue the superiority of OS because both clearly have their superior roles. But the article seemed to imply desktop. Linux might be good, even great on the desktop, but the venerable incumbant must be knocked from the throne with a blow that noone sees coming. Not some pissy, we think we are better bullet point list based on a socilistic ideology that feeds the OSS mindset. There, I said it.
I do appreciate the point of view or I wouldn't even respond. I have said before that I too wish there was real competition on the desktop. And I believe that Linux is gaining ground and winning some battles. But there is an old adage. "Fight your battles but win your wars." This is a battle you are wasting energy on because the Desktop war is where its at."
THAT is what set their dominance in motion.
I'll tell you what put them where they are and I remember it quite well.
The COMPETITION AT THE TIME SUCKED and that did it all.
Lets see who had their shit together going into the early-mid nineties to take on MS ?
* Commodore was bankrupt due to mis-management even though the amiga whipped ass on almost everything out there.
* Apple had an OS with a decent gui riding on a shitbag cooperative multi-tasking foundation backed by a management team that was clueless.
* IBM screwed over hundreds of developers and users (yes I was one of them) when they kept changing their mind about OS/2 and totally gave up once win95 shipped without so much as a yelp.
* Be Inc. had an egomaniac at the helm and I'll just leave it at that.
* Linux distros were just starting to show up but the kernel was mostly still in the closet being developed.
Bottom line is that when the time was right, and it mattered most, no one but MS seemed to be paying attention.
The competition was asleep at the wheel and everyone got their asses handed to them AS THEY DESERVED.
Now the question is what happens as we move forward ?
Cry monopoly all day long but MS is still selling strong and I don't see anyone with much of a real plan to stop them.




Or all the other competition out there, free or otherwise.
Member since:
2005-10-02
You're right... its not because the US protects Microsoft illegal abuses... its because the company was not restricted from acting out its illegal activities so early on.
THAT is what set their dominance in motion.