A good way to solve the software monopoly problem

[wit>trope]

Microsoft gets lawsuits because of monopoly abuse but there's a way to solve the whole problem. Break up Microsoft. Break it up into the operating system division and the non-operating system division and make it stay that way so that any company that does OS business has to only do OS business. Then there's no potential for abuse. What do you think of my idea?

 

[The Yankee]

Trust-busting? Didn't they already try to break up Microsoft? At least in two, IIRC. Hmm...well, maybe it'd work, maybe it won't. The problem is that Microsoft's products are pretty much the standard...

 

[Strider]

They already tried breaking up Microsoft.

 

[Godwynn]

I see no problem with Microsoft. It succeeded, hooray for them.

 

[EzInKy]

Microsoft gets lawsuits because of monopoly abuse but there's a way to solve the whole problem. Break up Microsoft. Break it up into the operating system division and the non-operating system division and make it stay that way so that any company that does OS business has to only do OS business. Then there's no potential for abuse. What do you think of my idea?

There is an easier way to solve the problem, don't use their products. Civ3 can be played on Linux, Mozilla is an awesome browser, MPlayer is a decent multimedia app, and OpenOffice can handle most Word files.

 

[BasketCase]

Tried both Windows and Linux. I must admit (to, I'm sure, the dismay of virtually everybody in here) that Windows XP is actually a good deal easier to use than Linux. Spoken by somebody familiar with UNIX, at that. My parents are hopeless at Linux, I can only imagine the horrors they'd go through trying to use Red Hat....

 

[EzInKy]

Tried both Windows and Linux. I must admit (to, I'm sure, the dismay of virtually everybody in here) that Windows XP is actually a good deal easier to use than Linux. Spoken by somebody familiar with UNIX, at that. My parents are hopeless at Linux, I can only imagine the horrors they'd go through trying to use Red Hat....

That really depends on the distro. Ubuntu and Mandrake practically administer themselves. Debian and Red Hat are more oriented to servers and business. SUSE is kind of a cross between the two. All can be set up for automatic updating and I believe Ubuntu and Mandrake are by default.

 

[BasketCase]

Tried Mandrake also. Had some problems with that version too. Getting Mandrake to connect to the Internet is the problem that most easily comes to mind; that took a couple of weeks. Windows 95, 98, and XP were all easier.

Edit: But then, I could be the exception that proves the rule.

 

[EzInKy]

Tried Mandrake also. Had some problems with that version too. Getting Mandrake to connect to the Internet is the problem that most easily comes to mind; that took a couple of weeks. Windows 95, 98, and XP were all easier.

Edit: But then, I could be the exception that proves the rule.

Nah, I remember when its interface was pretty clunky. I found editing config files a whole sight easier which is probably why I use a source based distro now. But, having installed the user friendly distros on some friends and family members computers I was surprised to see how far hardware detection has come along in the last couple of years.

But anyway back on topic, I don't think breaking up Microsoft will ever be an answer. What needs to done is to stop their monopolistic practices such as restricting manufacturers from selling computers with other OSs on them.

 

[aneeshm]

I'd rather we not split up Microsoft . The first reason is that they have done nothing which is illegal . The second is that they're soon going to become irrelevant anyway - Vista is nothing much more than a facelift to XP ( it contains no revolutionsay ideas ) . Linux is mch better , and that is what I use myself ( Ubuntu's hardware detection is absoultely fantastic ) .

 

[Cheetah]

Before we break up Microsoft, tell me what functions an OS should include?

 

[Aphex_Twin]

I see no problem with Microsoft. It succeeded, hooray for them.

Hooray indeed (no sarcasm... really). I see no problem with Microsoft making money and I see no problem with them having a near-monopoly on desktop OS and office suites. They produce buggy, security-sieve software, BUT - user friendly software. You can insert the CD, boot the CD and install everything in about 1 hour or so (though Mandrake & Slackware(to some extent) Linux come close to that ). It's using without having to go through the nitti-gritty details of computing.

I also don't see a problem with M$ trying to shove their competition out of the way by any means possible. I do see a problem with governments doing little to ensure a fair competitional environment (referring to, but not limited to software patents and "creative" copyright laws).

 

[blackheart]

Technically, Microsoft hasn't done anything illegal, but they do use bully tactics like forcing computer manufactureres to bundle their software. But Microsoft got where it is today because they're good at what they do. Windows is streamlined for user accessbility, while some distributions of Linux is not. If someone were to design a more secure operation system than Windows but with the same user accessbility, Microsoft would go belly up.

 

[Aphex_Twin]

And an answer to the question at hand... is answered presently in countries like New Zeeland (China seems to follow suite), where schools and government agencies have opted to use open-source (publicly avalible, verifiable source code) for their software. That means kids are grown up on Linux and the likes, that software will come cheap for the Government AND that Microsoft will have to be creative and innovative for once


Ainwood, what more do you know about this?

 

[farting bob]

The reason microsoft have a monopoly is that they have no other major competitor in the OS category. Their business is run very well, and that allows them to dominate the market. It would be unfair to break up microsoft (potentially costing them billions) justbecasue evryone else cant do any better.

 

[newfangle]

Microsoft produces something called Windows XP. Windows XP is the most accessable and versatile OS to date. Microsoft gives XP customers quite a lot of support (constant updating, including major service packs). Microsoft includes numerous pieces of software with XP, such as MSN messanger, IE, and a host of powerful networking functions. Microsoft does this at $150/unit.

There ARE reasons why most people use windows.

 

[EzInKy]

Microsoft produces something called Windows XP. Windows XP is the most accessable and versatile OS to date. Microsoft gives XP customers quite a lot of support (constant updating, including major service packs). Microsoft includes numerous pieces of software with XP, such as MSN messanger, IE, and a host of powerful networking functions. Microsoft does this at $150/unit.

There ARE reasons why most people use windows.

Linux distros come with a variety of browsers, office suites, instant messengers, and has such powerful networking functions that it and it's open source cousin FreeBSD runs nearly 70% of internet, all for free. The only thing they don't do is come pre-installed on BestBuy computers.

Netcraft

Developer July 2005 Percent August 2005 Percent Change
Apache 47030635 69.60 48895205 69.46 -0.14
Microsoft 13871645 20.53 14384006 20.43 -0.10
Sun 1842812 2.73 1864788 2.65 -0.08
Zeus 608121 0.90 580675 0.82 -0.08

 

[BasketCase]

If someone were to design a more secure operation system than Windows but with the same user accessbility, Microsoft would go belly up.

Naah. Microsoft would simply acquire the company that did.

 

[EzInKy]

Naah. Microsoft would simply acquire the company that did.

Embrace, extend, extinguish.

"Dos isn't done until Lotus won't run."
"Error, Non-Microsoft DOS detected."
"This website may only be viewed with Internet Explorer."

 

[Birdjaguar]

Apple's switch to intel chips will be an opportunity for those who don't like MS to use something else.