Microsoft are so greedy

[ade234uk]

If I find it scary how greedy and agressive Microsoft have become. Anybody using Linux and anyone in the industry can see what Microsoft are doing.

They are losing money, they are losing customers, they are losing the plot, they are getting very desperate. Nothing they do seems to be really working. I remember when XP came out, everyone wanted to see it.

I have asked many Windows users if they will make the jump to Vista and nearly all them say that they are happy with what they have got and not prepared to pay out any more money.

All I personally keep reading on the internet is how Microsoft are planning to punish certain companies. I think its terrible and it is absolutely no role model for people to follow entering in to business.

[Immaculate]

Yes, but most companies (nomatter what industry they are in), as big as microsoft are like that.

I just find it odd how they are all building up and saying how amazing vista is, yet the only change that matters is the glass theme. But that can be done on XP, with windowsblinds and a version of the VistaXP theme. And you even get the transparency.

At some vista conference they asked someone randomly in the audience (I assume on microphone) what the three best things about vista were, and they stopped for a second, and the whole place went quiet. Then they said "Faster, and more secure" or something. Funny, I am sure it wont be faster. More secure I doubt it.

[Mathias-K]

Hold on. Microsoft is just a business, and as such is greedy. What they do wrong is the unfair methods they sometimes use.

Vista does promise to be a whole lot better than XP, and i think most sane Linux user have to admit that at some points, Windows is just easier and more user friendly.

[Stormy Eyes]

They are losing money, they are losing customers, they are losing the plot, they are getting very desperate. Nothing they do seems to be really working. I remember when XP came out, everyone wanted to see it.

Let them flail about then. Let them rattle their sabres. Microsoft does not matter.

[aysiu]

I have asked many Windows users if they will make the jump to Vista and nearly all them say that they are happy with what they have got and not prepared to pay out any more money. And probably when they were using Windows ME, they weren't willing to "make the jump" to XP either. But they jumped eventually. You know why? Because eventually their computer gets "too old" (meaning that it got bogged down by spyware and won't work with the latest software, which requires the latest version of Windows in order to be installed), and they decide to buy a new computer.

Do you know what will be on that new computer? Vista.

They don't have to "upgrade" to Vista. They'll buy a Vista-preloaded computer once the XP-preloaded ones are gone.

[newbie2]

They don't have to "upgrade" to Vista. They'll buy a Vista-preloaded computer once the XP-preloaded ones are gone.

Sometimes as a Linux user, you wish you could buy any computer with Linux preinstalled, or if that's not possible, just without an operating system, but that's not the reality. If that isn't possible, is it possible to buy any computer with Windows pre-installed, and then, return the unused Windows, and ask a refund for it? That's a question many non-Windows users ask themselves. The answer however, isn't clear to consumers. There's only one way to find out: ask your hardware manufacturer. Or do they neither know the answer? Time to find out.
http://lxer.com/module/newswire/view/49036/index.html
:rolleyes:

[barsanuphe]

They are losing money, they are losing customers, they are losing the plot, they are getting very desperate.


losing money? last year they made a net benefit of more than $4 billions.
and i dont think theyre losing customers, worldwide.
what they are slowly losing is the grip they have on peoples minds. people are starting to realize that a computer and windows are not the same thing. and that is bad for microsoft, because i think that as soon as people find that out, they will want to switch. i did. most people here did.
and in that respect i think that youre right to say that they are getting desperate. they can smell the golden days may soon be over.

[DigitalDuality]

:::yawn:::

I dislike MS (yes, i said MS not M$) as a company. I dislike most (not all) of their products in comparisson to others. MS Office is a great office suite, .NET is a great platform.

But Ohs Noes! A publicly traded multi-national, greedy? By the series of legislative and judicial citizens, that is the model in which ALL corporations fit into. Even the most ethical ones.

Apple is no different, neither is any other company in this regard. I dunno, i thought corporations designed to make money from a product or service they provided to the public equaled greed. Kinda stating the blatant obvious.

[sharperguy]

two things:

1. Go here (http://www.mslinux.org) (it's not serious by the way, all links take you to linux.org, slashdot and others).

2.
I dunno, i thought corporations designed to make money from a product or service they provided to the public equaled greed. Kinda stating the blatant obvious.

Not really because if every company did not want to make money, then everything would be free, and people would have no insentive to provide these services and society would break down.

However, I do agree that huge multi-national comapanies like M$ and Macdonalds (they have at least resteraunt store in EVERY country now) should be fed to lions.

[towsonu2003]

And probably when they were using Windows ME, they weren't willing to "make the jump" to XP either. But they jumped eventually. You know why? Because eventually their computer gets "too old" (meaning that it got bogged down by spyware and won't work with the latest software, which requires the latest version of Windows in order to be installed), and they decide to buy a new computer.

Do you know what will be on that new computer? Vista.

They don't have to "upgrade" to Vista. They'll buy a Vista-preloaded computer once the XP-preloaded ones are gone.
I tried to find a way to say the same thing in other words, but couldn't find... couldn't agree more with you...


Not really because if every company did not want to make money, then everything would be free, and people would have no insentive to provide these services and society would break down. and couldn't disagree more with this one :)

[Christmas]

Hmmm I keep seeing in forums "Microsoft is going down" or "Microsoft is earning less and less money" or "Microsoft is losing customers". But all this unfortunately is not true. You forget that we, people using Linux, have of course a Linux comunity, we are looking for forums for Linux not Windows, we even make more and more contacts to other people using Linux, so this way we can have the false impression the Microsoft doesn't exist anymore, or is going to drawn. Well that's wrong, and the best thing to do is not to take care of Microsoft and wish them the worst, but to look at our nice OSes and make our job in them. After all, what Windows user is looking after Linux downsides? They don't care, most of them doesn't even know it exist. It's the people choice and if MS and their Vista is what they're after, let them continue using it, we have our ways, they have their.

[warp99]

M$'s business model by default includes an aggressive market strategy because of how the company's valuation is maintained in the marketplace.

M$ pays it employees both salary and stock options as part of an overall compensation package. Options are given to reduce the overall salary and thus keeping overhead expenses reduced and improving the appearance of a better bottom line. Remember options are not expensed at the time they are given, but when they are excised.

These options are only worth the difference between the option and the valuation of the underlining stock. Therefore as the stock value drops so does the value of the options. A significant drop in M$'s stock price would trigger many to excise those options, which would start a stock sell off from institutional buyers and private investors. All this selling would rapidly drive down the price of the stock and thus drive down the value of M$.

M$ would collapse under it's own weight like a house of cards ala "Enron" style without the aggressive market strategy. Any threat to the M$ empire is met with fierce retaliation because of the inherit weakness of this type of business model. :mrgreen: