Is Microsoft Doomed?

[DukenukemX]

Microsoft's new licensing terms seem to be causing them some trouble already.

Dell is now selling PC's without a OS preinstalled. This is Dell's way to combat MS new licensing terms.

http://news.com.com/2100-1001-949671.html?tag=fd_top

If that wasn't enough bad news a poll was done to see what will IT's use as there next OS. According to the poll it says 90% are think of switching to a free OS like Linux and only 5% are going along with MS.

Even apple is getting praise with there new Jaguar licensing. According to this article (http://news.com.com/2100-1040-949996.html?tag=fd_top) apple maybe making there OS expensive but they will alow up to 5 PC's to install one copy of the OS.

The family license program, to some degree, depends on the honor system. Although legally Mac owners are required to purchase a copy of the operating system for each Mac they own, Apple, unlike Microsoft, does not put technical barriers in place to prevent people from installing software on more than one machine.


Is it just me or is Microsoft digging there own grave. :shrug:

[Isotope]

Yeah. Ever since the Palladium idea I've felt like Microsoft was shoving me towards Unix. I'm downloading Linux Mandrake right now, actually. And as a company I like Mac better, but I think if everyone switched to something free it would be a lot better than either one of them. I would say there's even a slim chance that the processor companies that try to cling to MS might go down, but that's hoping to much and I have no evidence.

[Hermit]

I wouldn't say Microsoft is doomed, not hardly anyway. Ever since windows was created they've always been in heat for something. Hell the last entire decade has been about legal issues with both windows and IE as a bundle package. Bill Gates just likes to see how far he can push things before someone decides to step in and stop him from taking over the world. He did it then, he's still doing it now. They have ample resources to keep doing it. If they didn't, they would have stopped by now.

Bill just likes pushing things to the edge.

[gdorf]

Is it just me or is Microsoft digging there own grave. :shrug:

They can dig all they want, they're fucking microsoft.

[Cloral]

What most people don't realize though, is Microsoft actually has a higer profit margin on Office than on Windows. While Windows gets the publicity, Office is earning the bucks (although this has been changing somewhat lately). So I doubt this would spell any sort of end for MS. I hope this starts a trend though - I'd like to be able to buy my next PC with some form of Linux preinstalled.

[AlexMax]

I already knew about this...but let me just say that this is pure genius by Dell.

By bundling FreeDOS with Dell computers, it doesn't have to provide tech support for Linux, nor be forced to have users pay for a Windows licence they don't want. Dell wins. End user wins. Microshit loses.

That is one crafty Michel Dell he...

[AtmaWeapon]

Actually, a lot of end users lose in that case, because if they decide they aren't experienced enough to use FreeDOS, and go buy windows, Dell won't support them at all. Granted, Windows install is really simple, but what if the user screws it up? Most of them will call Dell, and all that telling them Dell won't support it will do is make an angry customer that cusses out the phone rep. Probably 90% of Dell's calls right now are newbie Windows questions.

Now, what Dell would say in response it "We give the user the choice of Windows or another OS." But really, think about it. The same morons who can't figure out they need to plug their mouse in for it to work are going to be looking at the computer and think FreeDOS is a deal. I've got a lot of experience, and I still can't figure out how to do a lot of things in Linux. Dell is digging themselves a hole and they will be sorry, I promise you. I'm not saying that in support of Microsoft, I actually like the idea of what Dell is doing, but their largest customer base is NOT experienced computer users, but grandmas and parents buying their first computers. I'll put it this way; My grandmother bought the cheapest Gateway she could configure, and would have taken a No OS option if she had it, she would have asked me to configure it for her. When she got the computer, she was about to call Gateway and chew them out because she said they didn't send her some games she ordered. I looked in her CD pack, and lo and behold, there were the games! She didn't even think about putting the CD in to try and install the game. Now, you want to tell me it's a good idea to offer her FreeDOS?


Anyway, with regard to microsoft, I do think they are starting to go too far. It's cool when a good company is a monopoly and they don't abuse their power too much. But now, MS has the Sony attitude: "Just do it 'cause we can afford to lose". Any company with that attitude is in trouble.

[DukenukemX]

Well Dell is only making PC's without a OS for the corperate market as far as I know.

Dell is doing this because of Microsoft's new licensing terms. As the consumer if you want Windows XP Home, Pro, or even Windows 2000 Dell would have to charge you for all of them even if your only going to use one OS.

So if Dell doesn't have a OS preinstalled the consumer doesn't pay for multiple OS's. Thats how Dell is getting around the licensing terms.

[Yoshiman]

Gates has been abusing the power... A moment of silence ple- Ok, enough silence.

[Radium]

Dell has ALWAYS [EDIT: well, maybe not ALWAYS, but they have for some time now.] sold PCs without an OS on them. There recently was a letter that got leaked from Dell stating that M$ wouldn't allow them to do that anymore but they still continue to anyway, because M$ has no say in that matter anyway. But this is nothing new at all Microsoft is definately not "doomed" ... they've got enough money to completely rebuild themselves if they have to lol I dont understand what you people have against them, they're just trying to combat piracy.... Yet they allow piracy to happen so that they dont go out of business, they always keep there "security" at a minimum so people can crack their software ;) haha :P

[ZZGundam]

Originally posted by Yoshiman
Gates has been abusing the power... A moment of silence ple- Ok, enough silence.

Gates is no longer in charge of Microsoft, the new guys even worst! :eek:

[Cloral]

Yeah - while Gates is still a major stock holder, the CEO is now Steve Balmer. There's a video from a corporate rally where he is introduced, and comes out on stage and jumps around for about a minute, yelling "Give it up for me!". Someone made a music video out of it here (http://www.msboycott.com/media/). I'd say it's worth a download for a laugh.

[Verbatim]

Somebody hasn't been reading carefully...


N-series PCs will cost the same as PCs that ship with Windows, a Dell representative said.

The customer doesn't save a cent. They just get a PC without an OS, which makes it easier for them to install from scratch (no need to wipe the old OS off). Dell, on the other hand, is saving a fair bit of money on each machiene, and increasing their profit margin.