There is an even better reason it would be good for MicroSoft. Right now, Windows has more or less reached market saturation. Many people who don't want to use it, do so because they are required to, or because what the need is not available under some other O/S. A good portion of the profits shown by MS come from new product sales, and upgrades. But, as the market has dwindled, so has the profit margin. This had lead to an increase in the retail cost of the products. The problem is, the consumers don't want to pay for shoddy, bug-ridden code that was rushed to market to increase revenue. Fewer people are buying the more expensive upgrades. And to this the fact that the other divisions (Office, games, etc) can not go for an expanding OS market for fear of hurting the O/S side. It is a receipe for financial problems.
It would make good business sense to spin off several different companies, but that in and of itself would shake confidence in the company. It is much better for the Government to force it on MS that for MS to do it themselves.
This way, if windows becomes unprofitable, it can be opensourced without effecting the valuation of MS, creating demands for MS other parts of its operation. This could actually turn into a boon for MS in the end. Especially if they go after the *nix market with Office and other programs after windows is split off.
Of course, this is just my opinion, I could be wrong.
I think you are on the right track. The thing to remember is that, like all rights, it is a matter of context. Your rights end where my rights begin.
I have the right to see a movie I have paid to see and not be endangered while I do so. If you get a wild hair and decide to cause a stampede by yelling "Fire" you are endangering me and depriving me of my rights.
Of course, a right to something can be a bad thing. For the most part, the bill of rights are rights to be free from something. Free from government censorship of the press, Free from state sponsored religion, etc. By granting a group a right to something, the rights of those not in the group are suppressed. Of course, this is just my opinion, I could be wrong Dave
I have given this much thought. It seems to me that breaking up Microsoft may be the best thing for many Microsoft products.
Windows has so much of the market that it is becoming unprofitable. It is strangling itself.
MS is reluctant to even attempt a port of many of it's programs to *nix, as it may take away some of Windows market share.
If the OS and Apps were spun off into separate companies, the O/S may flounder, or make it's way into PD or OpenSource. But, the Apps would be free of the restriction on growth that comes from being tied so closely to the OS.
We could see MSOffice for Linux, EI for Linux, etc.
It could be a boon to both the linux community and to MS/Bill. It could also be bad for linux, but I doubt it.
I have 10 years experience in all types of IT work. I have worked as SysAdmin for UN*X, Novell, and WinNT networks, worked helpdesk, planned networks, wired buildings, fixed workstations, built servers, troubleshot all kinds of problems, and alot more. I STILL have trouble finding a job because I don't have a degree. I have trouble getting responses to my resume' because I have never been to college and don't have certifications. It's a shame really, as I have a strong work ethic and am very competent. I live in Tampa FL and see every week in the paper jobs listed that require very specialized knowledge, lots of experience in multiple environments, and degrees and/or certifications. These jobs should pay over $40K and are listed at $35K or less. I am underemployed, overworked and underpaid. I am planning to attend school in the summer and work towards a degree, but in the mean time I will not be working up to my potential, because some HR drone thinks that without a degree a person can't be qualified. And I will probably leave Tampa because the pay is better elsewhere. If there is a shortage of IT people, it is artificially created by HR and managers.
Of course, this is only my opinion, I could be wrong.
I have been wondering about this for a while. We have the tools, and the skills, but we just don't use them.
We have the power to fill our representives email and snailmail boxes, but we are not organized enough to do it. I have come to the conclusion that geekdom needs more politically minded individuals to lead the charges. People who are articulate, and knowledgable in the was of governments. Our own little lobby or PAC.
Eventually, we may even get some people in office who are at least smart enough to know they don't know enough to make decisions and will turn to the people who do... Us.
Perhaps/. should start a political forum. As for a PAC we could have the Open Political System Org.
Of course, this is just my opinion, I could be wrong. Oh My God.. they Killed my.sig! Those Bastards!
15 years ago: the 80386 processor is intoduced, MSDOS is the most popular PC operating system, the technically savy use bulletin boards and call into information services such as Compuserve at 4800 baud, and if you are lucky you can use this thing called the internet at a corporation or university to send email and read UseNetNews. Linus will not start to work on Linux for 6 years
With the increase in networked systems, broadband access, storage densities, CPU power and abstracted layers,it may be impossible to guess what computing will be like in 10 years.
While I don't see UN*X as whole dying out, it would not surprise me to see flavors vanish. More important may be what functionality will survive. With the advent of the TransMeta codemorphing techniques, the survival of Big Iron and VM, and certain aspects of X, UN*X and Windows UI, I can imagine many things:
An UN*X like OS that can act like VM, creating virtual machines that can run other OS's and purely virtual networks.
A UN*X system that has a smart configuration utility, allowing the average user to install it.
A truely portable and totally configurable UI. It could reside on a smartcard, can be used at any compliant unit, and allows secure access to your home and work systems through encryption, yet looks just like your desktop at home.
What ever the futur brings, we will not be guessing it more than about 4 years down the line, if we are lucky.
Of course, this is just my opinion, I could be wrong.
*Not having any experience with WIN2K* Well, seems to me that SIS should see the registry files and the registry back up files as duplicates of the same file. So, if you damage the registry while installing software, or just poking around, you would corrupt the back up as well. End result - Reinstall. Sounds like a typical MS feature to me
I have tried various types of keyboards, but I keep coming back to the ole 104 key. Personally, I don't like the feel of the so-called ergonomic keyboards. But, that may be due to the fact that have what most people would call bad typing bits. I have found that I type better and have fewer problems if I type MY way as opposed to the way the "experts" says I should. But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.
Slashdot Mirror
There is an even better reason it would be good for MicroSoft. Right now, Windows has more or less reached market saturation. Many people who don't want to use it, do so because they are required to, or because what the need is not available under some other O/S. A good portion of the profits shown by MS come from new product sales, and upgrades. But, as the market has dwindled, so has the profit margin. This had lead to an increase in the retail cost of the products.
The problem is, the consumers don't want to pay for shoddy, bug-ridden code that was rushed to market to increase revenue. Fewer people are buying the more expensive upgrades.
And to this the fact that the other divisions (Office, games, etc) can not go for an expanding OS market for fear of hurting the O/S side.
It is a receipe for financial problems.
It would make good business sense to spin off several different companies, but that in and of itself would shake confidence in the company. It is much better for the Government to force it on MS that for MS to do it themselves.
This way, if windows becomes unprofitable, it can be opensourced without effecting the valuation of MS, creating demands for MS other parts of its operation. This could actually turn into a boon for MS in the end. Especially if they go after the *nix market with Office and other programs after windows is split off.
Of course, this is just my opinion, I could be wrong.
I think you are on the right track. The thing to remember is that, like all rights, it is a matter of context. Your rights end where my rights begin.
I have the right to see a movie I have paid to see and not be endangered while I do so. If you get a wild hair and decide to cause a stampede by yelling "Fire" you are endangering me and depriving me of my rights.
Of course, a right to something can be a bad thing. For the most part, the bill of rights are rights to be free from something. Free from government censorship of the press, Free from state sponsored religion, etc. By granting a group a right to something, the rights of those not in the group are suppressed.
Of course, this is just my opinion, I could be wrong
Dave
I have given this much thought. It seems to me that breaking up Microsoft may be the best thing for many Microsoft products.
Windows has so much of the market that it is becoming unprofitable. It is strangling itself.
MS is reluctant to even attempt a port of many of it's programs to *nix, as it may take away some of Windows market share.
If the OS and Apps were spun off into separate companies, the O/S may flounder, or make it's way into PD or OpenSource. But, the Apps would be free of the restriction on growth that comes from being tied so closely to the OS.
We could see MSOffice for Linux, EI for Linux, etc.
It could be a boon to both the linux community and to MS/Bill. It could also be bad for linux, but I doubt it.
But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong
Dave
I have 10 years experience in all types of IT work. I have worked as SysAdmin for UN*X, Novell, and WinNT networks, worked helpdesk, planned networks, wired buildings, fixed workstations, built servers, troubleshot all kinds of problems, and alot more. I STILL have trouble finding a job because I don't have a degree.
I have trouble getting responses to my resume' because I have never been to college and don't have certifications. It's a shame really, as I have a strong work ethic and am very competent.
I live in Tampa FL and see every week in the paper jobs listed that require very specialized knowledge, lots of experience in multiple environments, and degrees and/or certifications. These jobs should pay over $40K and are listed at $35K or less.
I am underemployed, overworked and underpaid. I am planning to attend school in the summer and work towards a degree, but in the mean time I will not be working up to my potential, because some HR drone thinks that without a degree a person can't be qualified. And I will probably leave Tampa because the pay is better elsewhere.
If there is a shortage of IT people, it is artificially created by HR and managers.
Of course, this is only my opinion, I could be wrong.
I have been wondering about this for a while. We have the tools, and the skills, but we just don't use them.
We have the power to fill our representives email and snailmail boxes, but we are not organized enough to do it. I have come to the conclusion that geekdom needs more politically minded individuals to lead the charges. People who are articulate, and knowledgable in the was of governments. Our own little lobby or PAC.
Eventually, we may even get some people in office who are at least smart enough to know they don't know enough to make decisions and will turn to the people who do... Us.
Perhaps /. should start a political forum. As for a PAC we could have the Open Political System Org.
Of course, this is just my opinion, I could be wrong. .sig! Those Bastards!
Oh My God.. they Killed my
15 years ago:
the 80386 processor is intoduced, MSDOS is the most popular PC operating system, the technically savy use bulletin boards and call into information services such as Compuserve at 4800 baud, and if you are lucky you can use this thing called the internet at a corporation or university to send email and read UseNetNews.
Linus will not start to work on Linux for 6 years
With the increase in networked systems, broadband access, storage densities, CPU power and abstracted layers,it may be impossible to guess what computing will be like in 10 years.
While I don't see UN*X as whole dying out, it would not surprise me to see flavors vanish.
More important may be what functionality will survive. With the advent of the TransMeta codemorphing techniques, the survival of Big Iron and VM, and certain aspects of X, UN*X and Windows UI, I can imagine many things:
An UN*X like OS that can act like VM, creating virtual machines that can run other OS's and purely virtual networks.
A UN*X system that has a smart configuration utility, allowing the average user to install it.
A truely portable and totally configurable UI. It could reside on a smartcard, can be used at any compliant unit, and allows secure access to your home and work systems through encryption, yet looks just like your desktop at home.
What ever the futur brings, we will not be guessing it more than about 4 years down the line, if we are lucky.
Of course, this is just my opinion, I could be wrong.
*Not having any experience with WIN2K* Well, seems to me that SIS should see the registry files and the registry back up files as duplicates of the same file. So, if you damage the registry while installing software, or just poking around, you would corrupt the back up as well. End result - Reinstall. Sounds like a typical MS feature to me
Well, if you name the next kernel Bill_Gates, then it has to be buggy beyond belief.
I have tried various types of keyboards, but I keep coming back to the ole 104 key. Personally, I don't like the feel of the so-called ergonomic keyboards. But, that may be due to the fact that have what most people would call bad typing bits. I have found that I type better and have fewer problems if I type MY way as opposed to the way the "experts" says I should. But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.