This Goliath is afraid of his own shadow. This Goliath stomps on any bit of movement in his vicinity. When the wind blows, this Goliath musters all of its mass and vaporized the limb that caused the wind to blow. There is no movement in this game with Goliath, it is not allowed. If this Goliath were in an archery competition, instead of firing an accurate shot, this Goliath would first step on the competitor to eliminate the possibility of anything but his own arrow being shooting toward the target.
As you said, there is no level playing field and businesses need to understand this. Microsoft has for 20 something years prevented many many other companies from providing solutions to businesses using these monster crushing tactics. Unfortunately most don't even know this. They just think that Microsoft got where it is because it had/has the best product(s). Regardless of how it got its size, its use of that size has destroyed many companies who attempted to get products into the desktop computer market place. Same goes for handhelds.
Oh, and if Goliath was in a race to the moon with someone else, they'd just make sure the others in the race couldn't get the parts for their rocket or materials to build the launch pad. Goliath would probably not make it to the moon either. Instead, he would build something which couldn't even escape out atmosphere but since he was the only one in the race, all observers think he is an amazing genius and vastly skilled.
So if the whining somehow opens someones eyes to how bad for everyone Goliath is, then the whining is being productive. People need to know the beast they are funding, the beast they are enabling, the beast they are almost glued to because of their choices in a partnership.
I do agree that there is way too much time wasted in discussions when it would be better spent supporting valid opposition. Talking with fresh college graduates exposed me to the naivety(?) of Microsofts business tactics and what it means to dictating how businesses leverage the IT toolbox. Since showing off better technology seldom gets accepted because of the "everyone else is using Windows" mentality, explaining why their success is limited by Microsoft's market control sometimes opens them up to what all these other tools are and the 'other' value they bring to the table.
I said that with the understanding that Microsoft will not keep doing this. That they will shut the door again. That they are only doing this as a temporary means of eliminating a current threat.
Sure, in this moment in time, it seems like a good thing but instants in time are too short a window into reality. So I agree, that for an isolated moment, this looks like a positive thing for all of mankind. Outside of that, it will likely be very bad if it does anything to slow down the ODF ISO standard. ISO ODF is the only publicly open, publicly created, and publicly accepted document format addressed office application file formats.
sorry but your statements lead me to believe you are unqualified for the discussion. You are fully qualified to state the obvious of how many are using Microsoft software though. What other option do I have but to state this when you say my mom/etc can't install applications on Linux? It is currently very easy to install applications on most Linux distributions. Different from Windows but very easy. And yes, there are cases where going outside of the distribution repository for an application requires more than a button click but hey, I've seen nice pretty button-click Microsoft application installations screw up other apps and even Microsoft apps so it's not 100% roses on Windows either.
end of discussion IMO since you don't have the background to discuss what is outside of the Windows world.
"This has to be good. Right ? How will this work with specifications that say "render text like Word 98?" Will Microsoft now document how Word 98 renders ?"
I'm sure there'll be some nice documents to tell you exactly how each of these statements work. You know, things like: 1)open file 2)scan for 0x06660666 3)take the next 128 bytes and pass them to winRulesAll(*DWORD) in/windows/system/explorer.dll 4)take the resulting array of 8bit vectors and sequentially call winConvertToBlob[0-255](LoByte(DWORD)) in/windows/system/kernel.dll 5)concatenate the results from those calls and send to sysDecryptWord95Text(URL,*DWORD) in mplayer.dll with URL=http://microsoft.com/secretdoor.asp 6)replace those 128 bytes with the results from the call or, if failed, render text like Word 95.
The new format is one of the MS Office Open XML( MS-OOXML ) formats. And my guess is that this current revelation has been in the plans for some time. After all, patching Microsoft Office and disabling the OPENING of the older file formats is the perfect example of why people need an open file format. People are being shut out from using their older formats. But, out comes Microsoft saying that they'll open up those older formats and release converter code so everyone can convert to MS-OOXML. Yup, sure looks like the has been planned for quite some time.
But then there is probably a document or two inside Microsoft which shows the many paths to limit and/or destroy ODF support and to gain back any lost market due to MS-OOXML spec acceptance. For over 20 years Microsofts business model has been to beat the competition by attacking their revenue stream(s) by leveraging the 100's of millions of systems sold annually with pre-loaded Windows. Seldom has it ever used superior product attributes to win the market. I see no reason to think some switch has magically been thrown and now Microsoft wants to compete for customers in an open and level playing field. I don't think they would even know how to do this because without a complete management replacement, it's in their blood to go after the business and not the customers. Destroy the business and the customers will go to the shinny light that is Microsoft. IMO.
Regarding those new formats, there is a nice 6,000 page document that tells you how simple the new formats are so it should be very easy to implement an application which can read and display everything the spec covers. Why would you ever need code from Microsoft to help you access files based on that spec? If they can do it, anybody can. FYI, so far, there is one vendor who has applications with high levels of support of the spec and that is Microsoft.
what's worst is when you proof read it before hitting the [send] button and only after seeing it in another form do you see you once again you out another word. Yup, the brain does funny things to us.
positive for Microsoft, negative for those who want to own the rights to view the contents of their data. FYI, there's 20 years of history to show that what Microsoft giveth, Microsoft taketh away. Remember, they once said that ISO will control changes to the MS Office OXML spec if standardized but in the past couple of months, changed that and said they would control changes to the spec. There is no way in hell Microsoft is not going to use this to keep changing the format and keep all others behind them in implementation of these changes. 20 years showing this is the way they work.
positive for Microsoft, negative for everyone else. After all, MS Office OXML was created for the purpose of fighting off the acceptance of the ODF format so every move they make with MS OOXML is to stop acceptance of ODF. And the fact that Microsoft would not work with the hundreds of OASIS members in creation of the ODF spec is another example of the 20 year old Microsoft tactic of 'it is our spec and your spec can rot in hell' mentality. They have never accepted or worked with any truly open spec without corrupting it on their platform. IMO.
zero is right, if in a legal document then it leaves the lawyers at Microsoft a huge hole to not do anything regarding a converter. I would hope it's just a writers mistake.
or there's no way they'd be doing this. Well, it is Microsoft so there are likely to be some problems. For instance, they could post 10,000 lines of assembly or just plain crappy C code and say, 'there you go, it's open'. Not so bad in itself but not very easy to use none the less.
But what is really probably happening here is that ODF is getting adopted around the world by governments and once you go ODF, it's going to be a tough sell back to the pull-the-rug-out-from-under-your-feet Microsoft way. Anyways, if Microsoft really sees ODF as a credible threat, getting MS Office OXML through ISO is important, very important. But, once they can do that and gain back credibility, there is NOTHING to stop them from releasing software which others are not privy too. ie, change the format and keep everyone else chasing them.
Remember, ISO will not be in control of the changes to the spec, Microsoft will be.
So watch out for this good-guy mask being applied. We've seen nothing to say there isn't anything but the same old Microsoft hiding behind it. And no, I would not accept this as a first step and something to trust. ODF and open access to your own created data is too important to let a simple trick undermine it all. IMO.
you've obviously have not used Linux in the last few years. Application installs are brain dead easy as long as you ONLY choose from the few thousand typically available from the major distros.
I also know some with your attitude to trying something new and have seen them pay over $200 a couple of times just to get someone to reinstall Windows and reinstall all their applications. I've also seen a few people purchase new computers just because Windows started acting up and the option was to hire someone to fix it or get a new computer with Windows pre-loaded. Makes a nice profit for all those supporting, selling, pushing Windows.
Good luck with Windows, you seem to be quite happy in your ignorance of what else is going on out there.
"Geez, think critically for a second. Could your Grandmother user Linux? Linux is great, and I love it, but "usability" is not high on the list of positive attributes."
no, she's 6' under but my mom-in-law has used it for over 3 years. I'd also setup a system for a friend who also had two high school age girls with userID's on the system. The support issues went to zero after dumping Windows for these users.
Now, attempts to get similar systems in local schools and libraries have been met with the same problems of the 90's. Various contracts were said to not allow these proposed systems configurations. But they fumble through at a snails pace of MS innovation. And regardless of how many get PCs which are stuffed with Microsoft's preloads, their software still sucks IMO. The fact that people make money off the people who use Windows has no bearing on the quality of the product. None.
"Of course, it's 2008, and Linux boxes are just now getting to be as functional and usable as windows boxes from the mid 90's. And what do you know, those are the pieces that have issues."
I wouldn't call Windows functional or usable in the mid 90's. NT v4.0 was ok but it's guts were still unreliable and insecure and you've got to be high if you're considering Win95/98/ME in that comment. But hey, for a bunch of hacks throwing free code of the wall, todays GNU/Linux is pretty sweet. I'll leave it at that.
the problem required a complete redesign of the OS, they opted to remove the 'problem' by removing the person who opened the trouble ticket. Deceased as of 1/8/1998. They also don't think it's funny how old skeletons always seem to find there way back to the surface.;-)
I also just heard that Bill Gates has moved up his retirement to yesterday and Steve Balmer is no where to be found.
Please blame this on someone else's code because it makes you guys look like idiots. A customer support system is the kind of system a 'normal' business would put high up on the importance ladder if they cared about their customers. Another company, say one with a monopoly position, might just do it as an exercise. This isn't a sales dept in/out board folks and yet they allowed any date value to be entered for the trouble follow up date?
Nice work boys and girls of Redmond. No wonder it's 2008 and your products are just now reaching the reliability of single UNIX boxes of the mid 90's. Well, albeit with either redundancy in real hardware or virtual hardware. But nice work for moving forward at the speed of a lead sled.
some have said that hot summer days were helping with the overheating of the batteries and the explosions. But, if you notice, the last explosion happened in late December in Wisconsin. Not likely to have been a very "hot" day. It could still be a heat issue if there's internal overheating do to "other" internal computer equipment, power supplies, and other equipment inside those boxes.
Don't expect AT&T to tell anybody what's really going on. After the dozens of images and stories that went out after the first explosion, AT&T is on top of these blown-up systems like white on rice.
Another interesting detail is that the company hired to examine the systems after the first two explosions said that the batteries and safety equipment were sound. They also said that they were likely better than most other batteries on the market. If this is the case, AT&T is going to have to start putting very large warning stickers on these boxes as they keep exploding. Maybe something like this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pluckytree/2186452007/in/pool-stickfiguresinperil/
our education system is failing us big time. FYI, I was talking about Vota, the statement I made was about Vota and I tried to keep it simple enough for some of you kids to understand. I guess mentioning who he works/worked for just added too many nouns for simple minds to differentiate which was really the subject of the comment. BTW, "he" is a pronoun( subjective personal pronoun ) and it was used in the sentence meaning Mr Vota. Got it?
And if THAT makes people think I'm a good candidate for the White House....like I said, our education system is failing and it is no wonder Bush won in 2004. The quarter behind the ear trick must be just fascinating to half the US population or at least a few clown here. IMO.
come on now, continuing to call it the "$100 laptop" is a way to make light of its failure. And THAT is the goal of this guy and this site. He knows this already. He's a freak'n marketing specialist after all. He's probably going to get a job at Microsoft for all this since it is just the kind of business practice they like to employ.
His days of using the name, Wayan Vota, in public forums are probably numbered. Time for an alias IMO.
They are already getting the ability to shut down selected homes with those new Time Of Use meter the public is paying for. Now they want to be able to control devices inside the homes? Not so fast big brother, not so fast.
It does seem like they are more bent destroying the competition instead of making profits by out competing. That one sales rep in Peru was all but handed a contract but instead of quoting on what was asked, she went after the previous, and already signed, OLPC contract. That's right, instead of making a sale, she tried to deny the OLPC the sale.
That goes way beyond brand loyalty IMO. The fact that Wayan Vota is a marketing person and how he's already tied to a project( geekcrops.com ) shows that he too is not out to win for his business but instead has decided that his best course is to deny the competition by publishing anti-OLPC stories and purchasing ads to direct yes to his anti-OLPC stories. IMO, these actions are not product loyalty related IMO. Someone who really believes in a product pushes the product. Someone who's motivated by profit/money is far far more likely to not push the product but instead, go for the throat of the competing product and after their customers.
Slashdot Mirror
This Goliath is afraid of his own shadow. This Goliath stomps on any bit of movement in his vicinity. When the wind blows, this Goliath musters all of its mass and vaporized the limb that caused the wind to blow. There is no movement in this game with Goliath, it is not allowed. If this Goliath were in an archery competition, instead of firing an accurate shot, this Goliath would first step on the competitor to eliminate the possibility of anything but his own arrow being shooting toward the target.
As you said, there is no level playing field and businesses need to understand this. Microsoft has for 20 something years prevented many many other companies from providing solutions to businesses using these monster crushing tactics. Unfortunately most don't even know this. They just think that Microsoft got where it is because it had/has the best product(s). Regardless of how it got its size, its use of that size has destroyed many companies who attempted to get products into the desktop computer market place. Same goes for handhelds.
Oh, and if Goliath was in a race to the moon with someone else, they'd just make sure the others in the race couldn't get the parts for their rocket or materials to build the launch pad. Goliath would probably not make it to the moon either. Instead, he would build something which couldn't even escape out atmosphere but since he was the only one in the race, all observers think he is an amazing genius and vastly skilled.
So if the whining somehow opens someones eyes to how bad for everyone Goliath is, then the whining is being productive. People need to know the beast they are funding, the beast they are enabling, the beast they are almost glued to because of their choices in a partnership.
I do agree that there is way too much time wasted in discussions when it would be better spent supporting valid opposition. Talking with fresh college graduates exposed me to the naivety(?) of Microsofts business tactics and what it means to dictating how businesses leverage the IT toolbox. Since showing off better technology seldom gets accepted because of the "everyone else is using Windows" mentality, explaining why their success is limited by Microsoft's market control sometimes opens them up to what all these other tools are and the 'other' value they bring to the table.
LoB
I said that with the understanding that Microsoft will not keep doing this. That they will shut the door again. That they are only doing this as a temporary means of eliminating a current threat.
Sure, in this moment in time, it seems like a good thing but instants in time are too short a window into reality. So I agree, that for an isolated moment, this looks like a positive thing for all of mankind. Outside of that, it will likely be very bad if it does anything to slow down the ODF ISO standard. ISO ODF is the only publicly open, publicly created, and publicly accepted document format addressed office application file formats.
LoB
sorry but your statements lead me to believe you are unqualified for the discussion. You are fully qualified to state the obvious of how many are using Microsoft software though. What other option do I have but to state this when you say my mom/etc can't install applications on Linux? It is currently very easy to install applications on most Linux distributions. Different from Windows but very easy. And yes, there are cases where going outside of the distribution repository for an application requires more than a button click but hey, I've seen nice pretty button-click Microsoft application installations screw up other apps and even Microsoft apps so it's not 100% roses on Windows either.
end of discussion IMO since you don't have the background to discuss what is outside of the Windows world.
LoB
"This has to be good. Right ?
/windows/system/explorer.dll /windows/system/kernel.dll
How will this work with specifications that say "render text like Word 98?" Will Microsoft now document how Word 98 renders ?"
I'm sure there'll be some nice documents to tell you exactly how each of these statements work. You know, things like:
1)open file
2)scan for 0x06660666
3)take the next 128 bytes and pass them to winRulesAll(*DWORD) in
4)take the resulting array of 8bit vectors and sequentially call winConvertToBlob[0-255](LoByte(DWORD)) in
5)concatenate the results from those calls and send to sysDecryptWord95Text(URL,*DWORD) in mplayer.dll with URL=http://microsoft.com/secretdoor.asp
6)replace those 128 bytes with the results from the call or, if failed, render text like Word 95.
Easy as pie.
LoB
The new format is one of the MS Office Open XML( MS-OOXML ) formats. And my guess is that this current revelation has been in the plans for some time. After all, patching Microsoft Office and disabling the OPENING of the older file formats is the perfect example of why people need an open file format. People are being shut out from using their older formats. But, out comes Microsoft saying that they'll open up those older formats and release converter code so everyone can convert to MS-OOXML. Yup, sure looks like the has been planned for quite some time.
But then there is probably a document or two inside Microsoft which shows the many paths to limit and/or destroy ODF support and to gain back any lost market due to MS-OOXML spec acceptance. For over 20 years Microsofts business model has been to beat the competition by attacking their revenue stream(s) by leveraging the 100's of millions of systems sold annually with pre-loaded Windows. Seldom has it ever used superior product attributes to win the market. I see no reason to think some switch has magically been thrown and now Microsoft wants to compete for customers in an open and level playing field. I don't think they would even know how to do this because without a complete management replacement, it's in their blood to go after the business and not the customers. Destroy the business and the customers will go to the shinny light that is Microsoft. IMO.
Regarding those new formats, there is a nice 6,000 page document that tells you how simple the new formats are so it should be very easy to implement an application which can read and display everything the spec covers. Why would you ever need code from Microsoft to help you access files based on that spec? If they can do it, anybody can. FYI, so far, there is one vendor who has applications with high levels of support of the spec and that is Microsoft.
Just look at how many apps now have a high level of support for the ODF spec:
http://opendocumentfellowship.com/applications
LoB
what's worst is when you proof read it before hitting the [send] button and only after seeing it in another form do you see you once again you out another word. Yup, the brain does funny things to us.
LoB
positive for Microsoft, negative for those who want to own the rights to view the contents of their data. FYI, there's 20 years of history to show that what Microsoft giveth, Microsoft taketh away. Remember, they once said that ISO will control changes to the MS Office OXML spec if standardized but in the past couple of months, changed that and said they would control changes to the spec. There is no way in hell Microsoft is not going to use this to keep changing the format and keep all others behind them in implementation of these changes. 20 years showing this is the way they work.
positive for Microsoft, negative for everyone else. After all, MS Office OXML was created for the purpose of fighting off the acceptance of the ODF format so every move they make with MS OOXML is to stop acceptance of ODF. And the fact that Microsoft would not work with the hundreds of OASIS members in creation of the ODF spec is another example of the 20 year old Microsoft tactic of 'it is our spec and your spec can rot in hell' mentality. They have never accepted or worked with any truly open spec without corrupting it on their platform. IMO.
LoB
zero is right, if in a legal document then it leaves the lawyers at Microsoft a huge hole to not do anything regarding a converter. I would hope it's just a writers mistake.
LoB
or there's no way they'd be doing this. Well, it is Microsoft so there are likely to be some problems. For instance, they could post 10,000 lines of assembly or just plain crappy C code and say, 'there you go, it's open'. Not so bad in itself but not very easy to use none the less.
But what is really probably happening here is that ODF is getting adopted around the world by governments and once you go ODF, it's going to be a tough sell back to the pull-the-rug-out-from-under-your-feet Microsoft way. Anyways, if Microsoft really sees ODF as a credible threat, getting MS Office OXML through ISO is important, very important. But, once they can do that and gain back credibility, there is NOTHING to stop them from releasing software which others are not privy too. ie, change the format and keep everyone else chasing them.
Remember, ISO will not be in control of the changes to the spec, Microsoft will be.
So watch out for this good-guy mask being applied. We've seen nothing to say there isn't anything but the same old Microsoft hiding behind it. And no, I would not accept this as a first step and something to trust. ODF and open access to your own created data is too important to let a simple trick undermine it all. IMO.
LoB
you've obviously have not used Linux in the last few years. Application installs are brain dead easy as long as you ONLY choose from the few thousand typically available from the major distros.
I also know some with your attitude to trying something new and have seen them pay over $200 a couple of times just to get someone to reinstall Windows and reinstall all their applications. I've also seen a few people purchase new computers just because Windows started acting up and the option was to hire someone to fix it or get a new computer with Windows pre-loaded. Makes a nice profit for all those supporting, selling, pushing Windows.
Good luck with Windows, you seem to be quite happy in your ignorance of what else is going on out there.
LoB
"Geez, think critically for a second. Could your Grandmother user Linux? Linux is great, and I love it, but "usability" is not high on the list of positive attributes."
no, she's 6' under but my mom-in-law has used it for over 3 years. I'd also setup a system for a friend who also had two high school age girls with userID's on the system. The support issues went to zero after dumping Windows for these users.
Now, attempts to get similar systems in local schools and libraries have been met with the same problems of the 90's. Various contracts were said to not allow these proposed systems configurations. But they fumble through at a snails pace of MS innovation. And regardless of how many get PCs which are stuffed with Microsoft's preloads, their software still sucks IMO. The fact that people make money off the people who use Windows has no bearing on the quality of the product. None.
LoB
"Of course, it's 2008, and Linux boxes are just now getting to be as functional and usable as windows boxes from the mid 90's. And what do you know, those are the pieces that have issues."
I wouldn't call Windows functional or usable in the mid 90's. NT v4.0 was ok but it's guts were still unreliable and insecure and you've got to be high if you're considering Win95/98/ME in that comment. But hey, for a bunch of hacks throwing free code of the wall, todays GNU/Linux is pretty sweet. I'll leave it at that.
LoB
Next day:
Customer: "Do you remember that bit about upgrading to Vista to solve the BSOD problem?"
Microsoft Tech: "yes, how did that go?"
Customer: "Well, it doesn't BSOD but instead it RSODs. It still crashes but the screen is red now."
Microsoft Tech: "we'll have to open another ticket for that since it seems to be a different problem."
Microsoft Tech: "Ok, let's start on this new ticket. Please reinstall the operating system and I'll check back tomorrow."
Customer: "@&$! Windows, @&$! Microsoft" hangs up.
LoB
the problem required a complete redesign of the OS, they opted to remove the 'problem' by removing the person who opened the trouble ticket. Deceased as of 1/8/1998. They also don't think it's funny how old skeletons always seem to find there way back to the surface. ;-)
I also just heard that Bill Gates has moved up his retirement to yesterday and Steve Balmer is no where to be found.
LoB
Please blame this on someone else's code because it makes you guys look like idiots. A customer support system is the kind of system a 'normal' business would put high up on the importance ladder if they cared about their customers. Another company, say one with a monopoly position, might just do it as an exercise. This isn't a sales dept in/out board folks and yet they allowed any date value to be entered for the trouble follow up date?
Nice work boys and girls of Redmond. No wonder it's 2008 and your products are just now reaching the reliability of single UNIX boxes of the mid 90's. Well, albeit with either redundancy in real hardware or virtual hardware. But nice work for moving forward at the speed of a lead sled.
LoB
some have said that hot summer days were helping with the overheating of the batteries and the explosions. But, if you notice, the last explosion happened in late December in Wisconsin. Not likely to have been a very "hot" day. It could still be a heat issue if there's internal overheating do to "other" internal computer equipment, power supplies, and other equipment inside those boxes.
Don't expect AT&T to tell anybody what's really going on. After the dozens of images and stories that went out after the first explosion, AT&T is on top of these blown-up systems like white on rice.
Another interesting detail is that the company hired to examine the systems after the first two explosions said that the batteries and safety equipment were sound. They also said that they were likely better than most other batteries on the market. If this is the case, AT&T is going to have to start putting very large warning stickers on these boxes as they keep exploding. Maybe something like this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pluckytree/2186452007/in/pool-stickfiguresinperil/
or a version of this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blackloveinspace/494802125/in/pool-stickfiguresinperil/
LoB
From what I heard, there are Microsoft Windows based servers in these boxes. So I wonder if they under estimated how hot that runs. poof! ;-)
;-)
And how come there are "Microsoft Windows" stickers all over those boxes like they are on all the OEM PCs and boxes?
LoB
I wonder if anybody is watching to see what they do with all these batteries?
LoB
our education system is failing us big time. FYI, I was talking about Vota, the statement I made was about Vota and I tried to keep it simple enough for some of you kids to understand. I guess mentioning who he works/worked for just added too many nouns for simple minds to differentiate which was really the subject of the comment. BTW, "he" is a pronoun( subjective personal pronoun ) and it was used in the sentence meaning Mr Vota. Got it?
And if THAT makes people think I'm a good candidate for the White House....like I said, our education system is failing and it is no wonder Bush won in 2004. The quarter behind the ear trick must be just fascinating to half the US population or at least a few clown here. IMO.
LoB
I did not and it's right there in the freak'n words if you'd just read them. gawd.
Stop wasting my time and try learning to read.
LoB
says you. I prefer spaces in code when passing data around.
LoB
who said Geekcorp sees OLPC as a competitor? where did that come from?
I suspect that if you got that from my previous comment, it would be a waste of time attempting to answer whimsical and unrelated questions.
LoB
come on now, continuing to call it the "$100 laptop" is a way to make light of its failure. And THAT is the goal of this guy and this site. He knows this already. He's a freak'n marketing specialist after all. He's probably going to get a job at Microsoft for all this since it is just the kind of business practice they like to employ.
His days of using the name, Wayan Vota, in public forums are probably numbered. Time for an alias IMO.
LoB
They are already getting the ability to shut down selected homes with those new Time Of Use meter the public is paying for. Now they want to be able to control devices inside the homes? Not so fast big brother, not so fast.
LoB
It does seem like they are more bent destroying the competition instead of making profits by out competing. That one sales rep in Peru was all but handed a contract but instead of quoting on what was asked, she went after the previous, and already signed, OLPC contract. That's right, instead of making a sale, she tried to deny the OLPC the sale.
That goes way beyond brand loyalty IMO. The fact that Wayan Vota is a marketing person and how he's already tied to a project( geekcrops.com ) shows that he too is not out to win for his business but instead has decided that his best course is to deny the competition by publishing anti-OLPC stories and purchasing ads to direct yes to his anti-OLPC stories. IMO, these actions are not product loyalty related IMO. Someone who really believes in a product pushes the product. Someone who's motivated by profit/money is far far more likely to not push the product but instead, go for the throat of the competing product and after their customers.
LoB