Bob Nicholson on mon 10 dec 01
>I get very tired of the Microsoft bashing. These people build
>software for maximum user benefit. (Certainly they also build in
>competitive advantage). They build in things that make it easier to
>use software and give us much greater flexibility.
Tom -
I am not a knee-jerk Microsoft basher. I frequently recommend
Internet Explorer, for example, as the best overall browser.
I see that you've put some thought into your opinions about
Microsoft's products, and I respect that.
However, I don't agree that Microsoft's market dominance is in
our interest.
In an open and competitive market, companies seek our business by
building better products or offering better prices. However, Microsoft
is able to use its monopoly power to drive competitors from the market,
and effectively force customers to buy from them. This isn't just
opinion - Microsoft has twice been found guilty in federal court of
illegal use of monopoly and anti-competitive practices. Microsoft's
dominance has very real costs.
I have been a senior engineering manager in several Fortune 1000
companies, and VP of Engineering for several start-ups. The companies
that I have worked for have lost large amounts of time and money
due to flaws in Microsoft's products. On several occasions my companies
tried to work with Microsoft to get the problems resolved, and we found
them to be completely uncooperative. We would have switched vendors
in a heartbeat - except that, for many products, there aren't any other
viable choices left.
Note that Microsoft's monopoly power is not the same as a standard.
Open standards (such as the TCP/IP protocol that underlies the Internet)
allow products from different vendors to work together. Standards allow
us to buy any brand of tires for our cars, or any brand of light bulbs
for our lamps. Standards promote choices; monopolies take them away.
I'm currently shopping for a new kiln (that's another topic!), and I'm
almost overwhelmed by the range of manufacturers, features, options,
prices, and decisions. But at the same time, I'm delighted to have all those
choices. Would I be better off if I could only buy a Microsoft kiln, a
Microsoft wheel, a Microsoft slab roller ... ?
I don't really begrudge Microsoft their position in the market - they did
a lot of things RIGHT to earn it. But at this point, their dominance
allows them to disregard the needs of their customers in pursuing their
own agenda. I still hold some hope that the state attorneys general will
reject the proposed Microsoft settlement and push for tougher terms,
or that the European Union will take effective action against Microsoft.
But in the mean time, I think we as consumers should insist that Microsoft
correct the ongoing flaws in their products, and not purchase upgrades
or additional Microsoft products until they do.
Regards,
Bob Nicholson
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Bob Nicholson
Webmaster, Orchard Valley Ceramic Arts Guild
http://www.ovcag.org/
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