Business Terrorists
October 30th, 2002 | by Tony Steidler-Dennison |Microsoft confirmed on Tuesday that Office 11, which began beta testing last week, will not support their own operating systems prior to Windows 2000, SP 3. MS will also stop supporting Windows 98 and NT in June 2003. It’s possible that as many as half of the business computers in use at the time of Office 11’s scheduled release will need to be upgraded to support the new program.
Note to the Republican Justice Department: The business world thanks you for your kind generosity to the monsters of Redmond. Because you didn’t have the balls to finish the job the Clinton Justice Department started, business will now have to pony up more money and, by the way, sign up for an even more draconian licensing scheme. You’ve also made it necessary to continue pouring taxpayer money into the Microsoft well, since roughly the same percentage of government systems will need to be upgraded. Guess we don’t have time to pursue the business terrorists, huh, what with a war on. You’re right; if we get defocused from that mission, the terrorists win.
Note to the business community: Open Office.
9 Responses to “Business Terrorists”
By Brad on Oct 30, 2002 | Reply
I couldn’t have said it any better.
By Geek on Oct 30, 2002 | Reply
Likewise. Amen!
By Ryan Knutson on Oct 30, 2002 | Reply
I agree completely but please fix your open office link so that we can direct people to a wonderful and free product that works just fine for 90% of office users.
Thanks for speaking the truth
By Neil Turner on Oct 30, 2002 | Reply
Neither could I. Take a look at http://www.thecounter.com/stats/2002/September/os.php - notice how 50% of web users are using Windows 98? Users of Office 11 compatible systems only account for 35% of total users. While this data doesn’t necessarily correlate with the target audience (web users as opposed to users of office) it proves a point; there are still too many NT and 98 users out there that are being ignored.
And besides, isn’t Windows Me just 98SE with a few bloated extras? What is it that separates it from its older (and IMHO better) counterpart that allows it to run Office 11?
It’s evident that this is MS using its monopoly to further line its pockets. Windows is now the only MS product I use - I stopped using IE 3 months ago and have never looked back.
By Ken Baker on Oct 30, 2002 | Reply
Let’s not go overboard. MS’s behavior hardly compares to terrorism. They can charge any price and support any platform they want. That’s what the free market is all about. As a Linux newbie busy transitioning away from MS I’m glad to see them do it. It makes an increasing number of people aware that they need to look elsewhere for they software needs. I assume that the Linux community will be waiting for them with open arms.
By Neil Turner on Oct 30, 2002 | Reply
Oops, I’m wrong. It won’t even work on Windows Me, which, by the time Office 11 is released, will only be 3 years old.
By Tony on Oct 31, 2002 | Reply
Ken, you’re right. We live in a free-market country. Despite the recent ups and downs, it’s still the strongest economy in the world, in part because it’s free.
Let’s not, however, forget that Microsoft has broken the law. They’ve been found to exercise their monopoly in a way that’s unfair to other businesses; small businesses that would like to get a better foothold in that free market.
For that violation of the anti-trust laws, MS has paid zero. In fact, it looks as though their licensing tactics (which were at the core of the anti-trust suit) have gotten even more outlandish, both to businesses and consumers. They are bullies who need to pay a price for their illegal actions, both past and present.
It doesn’t look like there will be any punishment forthcoming. The Ascroft Justice Department has ignored the issue altogether. The administration, as a whole, has such an incredible and well-documented blind spot for the bullying tactics of big business. Without enforcement and punishment, Microsoft will only get bigger and nastier uner the current administration.
They hold 85% of the OS market and are yet tightening the clamps on their customers. It’s a total disregard for the law and business terrorism, plain and simple.