Gates goes on to state that Microsoft is looking at charging for some of its software updates that it now distributes for free.
I believe that applies to accessory updates, like new versions of IE, Windows Media Player, and so on. You know, new versions that have more bugs and security problems than older versions. I *seriously* doubt this applies to any kind of critical update.
From NYTimes article: The computer industry "experienced a boom that I don't think we'll see again in our lifetime," Mr. Gates said in describing the Internet boom.
What do you expect? It's all hype! The only thing that really boomed was graphics. Networking has really sunk. Yeah, I want to use a GUI written in HTML, and use it in a web browser, so it will look different and have different rendering problems on EACH machine, and nobody can accept responsibility because the browser is "not their product". Grr...
Don't forget digital cameras and memory cards, either. I'm a photo finisher, and we have about a 50% compatibility rate for memory cards. God, memory cards SUCK. The fact that Windows treats them like removable hard drives, and tries to cache them and write data to them when write protected, doesn't help.
...And don't even get me started about USB and Plug 'n Pray.
From NYTimes article: Its competitors have said they fear that Microsoft will govern that arena in the same way it attacked Netscape and came to dominate browser software
Netscape sucked. Microsoft has an obligation to equip their own OS as they see fit. Survival of the fittest. Boycott if you don't like it. 'Nuff said.
Mr. Gates acknowledged today that the company's error reporting service indicated that 5 percent of all Windows-based computers now crash more than twice each day.
Is that Windows itself, or Windows applications? I haven't seen a BSOD or a lock-up in almost a year on my machine, except when I swapped my motherboard.
Wolfe: And, if you don't pay you could end up screwed.
Yeah, you might actually have to take your business elsewhere! ;-)
NitrousB: This will be like a pyramid scam, you pay for one bug to be fixed, but two more are introduced an so forth.
Isn't all software like that? You would die if you saw what kind of apps I have to use at work. If you think Microsoft is the worst software developer out there, you should seriously try some Kodak software.
Roj: I gotta ask, are Microsoft products really $6.9 billion per year better than anything else? And where would Amiga be with that much money budgeted for R&D?
The same place as Microsoft. No company deserves $6.9 billion for revenue, never mind R&D.
_LinchpiN_: Kinda reminds me of the VHS vs Betamax war,, betamax cheaper, better quality, more reliable than VHS, but who won? VHS...
Tape length was more important than quality, and Sony was too slow at working out the idea of movies and rentals on tape.
Verdict: VHS *was* supirior, but only in marketing and format, not quality. Bad products rarely succeed on their own without top-notch marketing. Just look at the iMac. :-D
Karlos: Nothing about this surprises me....
Same here, but where's the competition? BeOS is gone, MacOS needs custom hardware, so does OS4, OS5 is anyone's guess, and Linux (or rather, GNU and XFree86), blows chunks if you want a halfway decent GUI and a good, standardized design. Anything else is just a clone of UNIX, and embedded OS, or a hobby project.
Where's the competition?
That's the only reason I still follow what's going on the the Amiga world, BTW. I don't see any hope at all elsewhere.
