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Time:
16:43 EST/21:43 GMT | News Source:
CNET |
Posted By: Bill Roach |
A Merrill Lynch analyst on Wednesday voiced concerns about Microsoft's response to the growing popularity of open-source software, echoing statements made by a former Microsoft executive last week. Steven Milunovich, in a note published Wednesday, wrote that Microsoft is still having difficulty reconciling its overwhelming clout in the PC software market with the growing popularity of open-source software such as Linux and StarOffice.
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#1 By
7390 (63.211.44.114)
at
2/19/2003 7:45:36 PM
|
Stutz, who recently left Microsoft, posted to the Web what he termed a "sanitized" version of his resignation letter, in which he criticized the software maker's continued reliance on a PC-centered business model.
Maybe I am wrong but doesn't MS make most of their money from the PC?
"One-size-fits-all, one-app-is-all-you-need...has turned out to be an imperfect strategy for the long haul," Stutz wrote. Yet Microsoft continues to bundle more features into its software, even as customers seek to "accelerate the divergence of the open-source platform."
I didn't know that less features was the way to go. I am sure that MS competitors are pulling out features from their apps.
"There is false hope in Redmond that these outmoded approaches to software integration will attract and keep international markets, governments, academics, and most importantly, innovators, safely within the Microsoft sphere of influence," he added. "But they won't."
Oh great Oracle teach us more
Stutz likened Microsoft's PC client business to that of automobile manufacturers, railroads and telecommunications companies, which struggled as their infrastructure businesses matured. These efforts to hold onto the PC-focused model could doom the company, like others before it, he concluded.
What other model that is out there that works?
Thank god that MS is standing still and doesn't recognize the web for what is. Thank god that they don't spend billions on research. Thank god that they didn't come with this thing called .NET. with the hopes of making everything web/xml enabled.
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#2 By
61 (65.32.170.1)
at
2/19/2003 11:55:53 PM
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The author is a complete moron.
Why does the author think that Microsoft is branching off into other areas, such as pocket PC's, smart watches, gaming, PVR equipment, Server software, media delivery technology (Windows Media Server 9), smart displays, tablet computing... the list goes on and on... it's called diversifying.
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#3 By
135 (208.50.206.187)
at
2/19/2003 11:58:26 PM
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cba-3.14 - "that's what he's talking about. "
What's he talking about? Selling hardware? Microsoft should buy out Dell and we go back to one computer vendor, one OS?
"OSS is not coming along because of penniless hippies, it's coming along because it makes sense for hardware makers to commodotize the software business as much as possible"
Well sure. It makes sense to the hardware makers.
But does it make sense to the customer? I don't see any evidence to support that.
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#4 By
1845 (12.209.152.69)
at
2/20/2003 1:02:23 AM
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You wan't to back up those numbers cba? Still, if I give away a product (a loss leader), that product didn't make money for me. So, if OSS simply facilititates the purchase of other hardware/software OSS didn't make the money.
I find it rather ironic, actually, that an OSS advocate would parade around with banners of IBM and HP. Two corporate giants are making money on OSS. What about the little guys? You know, the ones that donated their time to write it, the little vendors? The little guy is being exploited by the giants, so OSS really isn't accomplishing anying other than to perhaps displace one monopoly with another. Kudos to you OSS folks, you've recreated the IBM of the past!
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#5 By
3339 (65.198.47.10)
at
2/20/2003 1:48:21 PM
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"The author is a complete moron.
Why does the author think that Microsoft is branching off into other areas, such as pocket PC's, smart watches, gaming, PVR equipment, Server software, media delivery technology (Windows Media Server 9), smart displays, tablet computing... the list goes on and on... it's called diversifying."
Have you read the Stutz letter?
This is exactly the problem... All of this new stuff is tied to Windows or Windows server products. They are not embracing the diversity and networked nature of where we are at...
Exchange is adding new mobility features, but does it work with Palm devices, non-MS smartphones, Blackberries? No, why not?
Office 11 offers nothing compelling without adopting InfoPath and SharePoint... Why do I upgrade if I do not want a collab server nor expensive server licenses? Can I integrate PDF workflows into the Office setup? Can I integrate other doc management or collaboration software into Office 11? Not easily and if at all, it's because the third parties accomplished it.
These are the issues that Stutz is speaking about and what people call lack of innovation--MS is building out new technology, yes, but it is completely locked into its own environment without acknowledging that MS isn't the prefered system for PDAs, phones, and other mobile devices. That people do want to use non-MS server technology and that they expect to be able to plufg it into Office apps, etc, etc, etc...
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#6 By
61 (65.32.170.1)
at
2/20/2003 3:23:04 PM
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Jerk, It's simply not Microsoft's job to make these other devices work for Microsoft's software, it's the duty of these other companies to make their software work with what's out there.
The idea of Windows is to be able to have a single common platform among all devices and be able to share data from those devices to other devices. So if Palm wants to be able to talk to Windows, they have to make software that will allow the two to communicate... the framework is already there built into the OS.
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#7 By
3339 (65.198.47.10)
at
2/20/2003 5:10:01 PM
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"The idea of Windows is to be able to have a single common platform among all devices and be able to share data from those devices to other devices."
And that's the criticism, CPU. You may disagree, but many more people find that a valid criticism.
Just by saying what MS's position is you haven't defended it. And, personally, I don't think they can be defended--they do not lead or even have a majority of the marketshare in a lot of these categories. I want my mail server to communicate with devices people actually use, not crap MS can't get to market or make successful. I want desktop apps to include new enhancements that don't require yet another MS server product, etc...
This post was edited by sodajerk on Thursday, February 20, 2003 at 17:42.
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#8 By
1845 (12.209.152.69)
at
2/21/2003 1:52:55 AM
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Jerk, I haven't really touced InfoPath, OneNote, or SharePoint - the new features in Office 11 are compelling enough to at least evaluate. There is far more to Office 11 than the new apps. There are new features for users, new features for developers. It's a good product to look at.
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