[Wolves] MS tightens the screw

Peter Cannon peter at cannon-linux.co.uk
Thu Apr 6 11:51:51 BST 2006


On Thursday 06 April 2006 10:49, Andy Wootton wrote:

> I don't hate their products. I hate their business practices and I think
> you are heading in the same direction Pete.

Can you qualify that a bit? having a stressful day so I don't fully understand 
what you mean?

> I felt exactly the same about IBM when they had a monopoly.

Now that is a very very good point and one that seems to have been missed by 
everyone. 

IBM machines shipped with the OS and hardware tightly locked together Mr Gates 
enabled us all to escape the clutches of the evil IBM by freeing the OS from 
the hardware and was applauded for it.

It strikes me that the wheel is turning full circle and that while, at the 
moment, MS do not build PC's persay, we will be in a situation where we may 
be back to square 1, in a sense, and locked into MS based PC's only.

With my Salesman hat on: "Did IBM have the product marketing right in the 
first place?

With my Linux hat on: "What the *F* I want to put whatever I like on a machine 
especially when I produce my very own cannon-linux :)

> Market share corrupts. Didn't HP give evidence to the European Comminsion
> that Microsoft had leaned on them when they first started shipping Linux
> laptops?

Yep, and that's exactly what I'm talking about, but it gets worse I guarantee 
Dell will be looking to do in the very near future. (You heard it here first)

> Microsoft used to claim that most machines without an OS were being
> loaded with pirated copies of Windows but now every copy has to be
> registered when it is installed and updates are monitored what is their
> excuse?

Um to keep track of what you have?
Actually at the moment its not fool proof if you ring up MS for an install key 
they pug their face and say "But that key has been used X amount of times 
already!".
All you have to do is say "My machine keeps getting stuffed with viruses the 
moment I put it on the Internet" they hand over the key very meekly.

> I guess Apple can get away with it because they have complete control of
> their channels. I wonder if Microsoft will support Apple forcing someone
> who wants to run XP on a Mac Mini to buy a copy of OS X that they don't
> want.

I have no direct knowledge of Apple but I reckon they have a good market 
penetration, it wouldn't surprise me if MS adopted the addage "If you can't 
beat em join em" e.g. a mutual love/hate relationship.

-- 
Regards
Peter Cannon
FC5 & SuSE10
Jabber:highwayman.turpin at gmail.com

"There is every excuse for not knowing
 There is no excuse for not asking"



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