Re:Ask HN: Why the Microsoft hate?
by joe_the_user on Wednesday October 23, 2013 @11:22PM
(#6603238)
If they were truly a monopoly, they would not have seen it as important to respond and revise Windows 8.
Obviously things aren't black and white, we're arguing the degree of monopoly of MS. Consider, yes, eventually you hit the elephant hard enough with a 2x4 and it responds. It didn't respond much even then. And even government granted, official monopolies respond a little bit criticism.
Real monopolies can abuse their customers and have no qualms about it.
Many people would view MS as being just that way. But sure, maybe there's some leeway. But "no monopoly power" is bending the stick ridiculously far in the other direction. I mean, MS is convicted monopolist. They already lost a lawsuit in the 90's. [1] MS' strangle-hold PC operating system remains the same even if other markets (the web, the phone etc) have risen. (Edit: Consider, if MS did face competition in the PC operating system market, they might feel pressure to improve the PC rather than just milking their position for the purpose of entering other markets.)
And besides, it's not like they didn't have a public beta program in the first place.
Now there's some counter evidence to all your earlier argument. All the beta people were expressing shock and horror and MS did ... nothing.
Obviously things aren't black and white, we're arguing the degree of monopoly of MS. Consider, yes, eventually you hit the elephant hard enough with a 2x4 and it responds. It didn't respond much even then. And even government granted, official monopolies respond a little bit criticism.
Real monopolies can abuse their customers and have no qualms about it.
Many people would view MS as being just that way. But sure, maybe there's some leeway. But "no monopoly power" is bending the stick ridiculously far in the other direction. I mean, MS is convicted monopolist. They already lost a lawsuit in the 90's. [1] MS' strangle-hold PC operating system remains the same even if other markets (the web, the phone etc) have risen. (Edit: Consider, if MS did face competition in the PC operating system market, they might feel pressure to improve the PC rather than just milking their position for the purpose of entering other markets.)
And besides, it's not like they didn't have a public beta program in the first place.
Now there's some counter evidence to all your earlier argument. All the beta people were expressing shock and horror and MS did ... nothing.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Microsoft_Corp.