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Yes, but do they have a choice.
They are making billions every year and have accumulated 50 billion, largely because they can charge monopoly prices and cutomers to not have options. As Linux, OpenOffice, and other open sourse products get better, operating systems, office suites, and other software become comodities. The only way to counteract this is to keep adding free features bolted on, that will lock customers in if they use them.

The only problem with this strategy is that at some point, Windows becomes so complex with so many dependencies, that it is virtually impossible to stamp out bugs and security is a virtual imposibility. So, they protect short term income, keeping the billions flowing, at the expense of a "big bang" at some point. Balmer and Gates will accelerate stock sales going forward, in hopes of having extracted the maximum amount of welth before the big bang.

Maybe they are not so dumb.
Posted by: DonnieBoy   Posted on: 10/21/03 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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Ballmer's mindset is part of the problem......  Jose Jimenez | 10/21/03
cops and robbers  lmaxwell | 10/21/03
Apples and oranges  Jomo_z | 10/22/03
Ballmer need to get a brain  Blue Wolf_z | 10/21/03
I don't see a difference  marksashton | 10/21/03
Good point, who runs just a kernel?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/21/03
re: the difference is  ryusen | 10/22/03
Re: I don't see a difference  neopleonasm | 10/21/03
I don't see a difference  Loverock Davidson | 10/21/03
I do see a difference...  Joe_Bob | 10/21/03
So why then is Linus T. so...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/21/03
Sooooo, the AXE comes out.  Jose Jimenez | 10/21/03
Re: So why then is Linus T. so...  neopleonasm | 10/21/03
RE: So why then is Linus T. so...  Iain_Peters | 10/21/03
Well, tell me why  zd-spam | 10/21/03
re: So why then is Linus ...  Still Lynn | 10/24/03
Just a small factual error  marksashton | 10/21/03
you miss read what I typed...or I mistyped what I meant  Joe_Bob | 10/21/03
Re: I don't see a difference  neopleonasm | 10/21/03
Do I have to care about browsers?  Anton Philidor | 10/21/03
Re: Do I have to care about browsers?  neopleonasm | 10/21/03
re: I don't see a difference  Iain_Peters | 10/21/03
re: strange rationalization ???  Blue Wolf_z | 10/21/03
Hoist on your own petard?  Still Lynn | 10/22/03
Comparing Windows 2003 Server......  Jose Jimenez | 10/21/03
re: W2k3 server vs. RH 6  Still Lynn | 10/22/03
A failure to communicate!!!  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/21/03
Excellent post!  NT Admin | 10/22/03
I call them the way I see them.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/22/03
Awful CEO, worse company  Mike Cox | 10/21/03
However---  Mike Cox | 10/21/03
One tiny opinion of a shill  zd-spam | 10/21/03
Yes, but do they have a choice.  DonnieBoy | 10/21/03
A new concept for MS...responsibility.  Cardinal_Bill | 10/21/03
And if I buy Red Hat Linux......  Jose Jimenez | 10/21/03
He does live in a special world doesn't he  Squawkbox | 10/21/03
Very limited indemnity  darkonc | 10/22/03
Windows is the virus, Linux is the cure  Chad_z | 10/21/03
That is certainly one opinion.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/21/03
That *nix is more secure than windows is  MarcB_z | 10/21/03
CERT says you are wrong.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/21/03
It's still opinion...  Jose Jimenez | 10/21/03
Correct, it's an opinion.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/21/03
Bit/Don: We need your help here!  j.m.galvin | 10/21/03
Don't make me laugh any harder........  Jose Jimenez | 10/21/03
me too  JoeMama_z | 10/21/03
Wow, over a year?  Jose Jimenez | 10/21/03
never? wow  JoeMama_z | 10/21/03
Reboot? What's that?  Jose Jimenez | 10/21/03
you said Outlook  JoeMama_z | 10/21/03
Didn't really mean...  Jose Jimenez | 10/21/03
Medicine  uno@... | 10/22/03
Here's a Fact  voska | 10/21/03
Re: CERT says you are wrong.  neopleonasm | 10/21/03
Real World  Harry Bardal | 10/21/03
if no one uses it, no one hacks it  lmaxwell | 10/21/03
Re: if no one uses it, no one hacks it  neopleonasm | 10/21/03
OMG...This Looks Like Something...  The Real Bitch | 10/25/03
It doesn't matter...  Joe_Bob | 10/21/03
Re: That is certainly one opinion.  neopleonasm | 10/21/03
This coming from someone with a Speak N Spell PC  Chad_z | 10/22/03
Thank you for demonstrating your abilities.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/22/03
re: Thank you for demonstrating your abilities.  Still Lynn | 10/22/03
How convenient  clshades | 10/21/03
re: How convenient  Still Lynn | 10/22/03
Window vs Linux Vulnerabilites  issthatso | 10/21/03
linux, the real lock in  lmaxwell | 10/21/03
Er?  neopleonasm | 10/21/03
... and lmaxwell is the Micro$hill formerly known as...?!?  dicktaurus@... | 10/21/03
On Linux this I must say  Squawkbox | 10/21/03
Blame someone else, it used to work in IT....  Still Lynn | 10/22/03
More myths  Iain_Peters | 10/21/03
Talk is cheap, MonkeyBoy!  dicktaurus@... | 10/21/03
A quote for Ballmergates  Squawkbox | 10/21/03
Profit  Mikael_z | 10/22/03
This man can't avoid  Sceptical Observer | 10/22/03
M$ grew too much  NT Admin | 10/22/03
Linux just doesn't make sense ...  George Mitchell | 10/22/03
re: Linux just doesn't make sense  Still Lynn | 10/22/03
Microsoft's security plan  tslocum7 | 10/22/03
BLAH BLAH BLAH  ScarryJerry | 10/22/03
What game????  Hard Cider | 10/22/03
No Problem!  michael-t | 10/22/03
To some extent Ballmer is right  uno@... | 10/22/03
re: Linux also need some kind of code signing system  Still Lynn | 10/22/03
Microsoft is certainly trying, but ...  jdoe512 | 10/23/03
Ballmer - Recent Vulnerability Notes  hcstudt@... | 10/23/03
WinXP: *OPEN INVITATION TO VIRUS & HACKERS*  cecker | 10/24/03
For Those Who Must Use Windows...  The Real Bitch | 10/25/03

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