I
have to admit when I first heard about and saw the footage
of the "pie-ing" of Microsoft's Bill Gates, I felt
a little sorry for the guy. Don't get me wrong I was never
a Microsoft partisan or Bill Gates booster. I just never had
the visceral hatred of everything associated with Microsoft
that seemed to infect a certain portion of the computer technology
community - especially the Macintosh segment. I would say
that my perspective on Microsoft was a mixture of mild competitive
dislike (because they were winning the war against my chosen
platform), contempt for their technology (I kept getting annoyed
when after Word 6 finally finished launching it kept throwing
this kitchen sink at me) and awe at their ability to market
clearly inferior products in a very successful way. I thought
of the company as an extremely tough competitor but not as
the unethical bugaboo that some people seemed to want to make
it out to be. Well the DOJ vs Microsoft trial has completely
changed that perspective of mine.
The current trial of Microsoft has really unmasked the company
and the upper echelon of its executives for what they are;
not tough businessmen seeking to expand their marketshare
in a forceful but legitimate manner, but common thugs willing
to use their muscle to force smaller competitors to give up
their "lunch money" - or else! Extortion and bullying
are not a legitimate business practices, whether they happen
on the playground or in the marketplace. This is exactly what
Microsoft did in its negotiations with Apple when it forced
Apple to accept Internet Explorer as the default browser and
tried to kill Quicktime.
The unmasking of Microsoft's business practice during the
trial of course makes one angry. But it also has put me at
ease somewhat. I think it shows clearly something about the
company that I have long felt - that there is a great deal
of corruption and fear within the corporate culture at Microsoft.
That the main focus of the company is not in putting out great
products, but in controlling markets and accumulating capital
for its own sake. History shows that such an unbalanced and
corrupt corporate culture within a company, if it goes on
unreformed, leads to the eventual diminishing of the effectiveness
of that company. It is quite clear that the rot at Microsoft
starts at the top and that it is pervasive within the company.
Other than dominating markets and accumulating cash, I don't
think that Microsoft knows where it "wants to go today"
- or tomorrow for that matter. Such a company, no matter its
marketshare, cannot succeed long term in the marketplace that
will demand innovative, cleaver and useful products.
Microsoft, flush with cash, is now engaged in an effort to
dominate the Internet and is buying up Internet companies
right and left (making some seemingly foolish choices). It
will fail in this effort, but can slow down the creativity
and growth potential that the Internet has. I don't think
we, as a society, should have to wait for Microsoft to fall
of its own weight (which is what I think will eventually happen).
I think that it is time to break up Microsoft, just as you
might separate gang members in an effort to get them to behave
more responsibly. I hope this is in this direction that the
DOJ is moving and that it will help to restore more competition
to the compter technology marketplace.
You might hear a lot of whining from Microsoft surrounding
this trial (as there has been already - "Apple was trying
to bully us") but is is only the kind of noise a bully
makes when his hollowness has been exposed. Meanwhile a pie
in the face seems like pretty mild treatment for Gates.
Willam works for a large Internet company and divides
his time between Silicon Valley and Bern Switzerland. He
feels qualified to comment on all things Macintosh because
he often takes potshots at his son's Apple.
HandHelditems.com - Personalize your iPod with us. Shop hundreds of unique iPod accessories and
save up to 80%.
Apple Store
- The size of a pack of gum, iPod shuffle weighs less than a car key. Which means there's nowhere your skip-free iPod shuffle can"t go. Click Here
Copyright 1996-2007 by Cider Press Publishing LLC all rights reserved. MacReviewZone is not authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Computer. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, iPod, iBook, iMac, eMac, and PowerBook are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks and are hereby acknowledged.
I
have to admit when I first heard about and saw the footage
of the "pie-ing" of Microsoft's Bill Gates, I felt
a little sorry for the guy. Don't get me wrong I was never
a Microsoft partisan or Bill Gates booster. I just never had
the visceral hatred of everything associated with Microsoft
that seemed to infect a certain portion of the computer technology
community - especially the Macintosh segment. I would say
that my perspective on Microsoft was a mixture of mild competitive
dislike (because they were winning the war against my chosen
platform), contempt for their technology (I kept getting annoyed
when after Word 6 finally finished launching it kept throwing
this kitchen sink at me) and awe at their ability to market
clearly inferior products in a very successful way. I thought
of the company as an extremely tough competitor but not as
the unethical bugaboo that some people seemed to want to make
it out to be. Well the DOJ vs Microsoft trial has completely
changed that perspective of mine.
