OT: Microsoft layoffs

[keith smith]

I think we tend to look at Microsoft and a $150 license fee for XP or Vista as a lot of money.  There are other costs to consider.  What is your time worth? 

Most people do not have the need nor the desire to learn Linux.

I personally like the Windows operating system for my desk top.  I run Linux on my LAMP dev box.

To me, as it probably is for most people, is a simple business decision.   I was M$ free for 8 months in 2000.  Last year I tried it again.  My favorite code editor only runs on Windows.  I hated running IE in wine (I need it for cross browser testing).  I spent tons of time configuring my Linux network and spend lots of time to make it work efficiently.  In the end I re-loaded XP on my desk top and have enjoyed the mix of M$ and Linux, each meeting q specific need.

Why buy a nail gun at extra cost when a hammer will do the same job for less?

Two comments on pirating:

1) The creators of dBase found out in the late 80's that pirating actually improved sales.  During the time most software came with a copy protection.  The copy protection made installs more tedious and difficult.  Several applications were developed to make by passing the copy protection possible.

In the end most software companies removed the copy protection.  Ashton-Tate the creators of dBase stated their sales when up once the copy protection was removed.  They attributed this increase to people sharing their copy of dBase with others giving them a chance to try the product.  Once they saw it was something they could use they bought it.

2) Pirating hurts everyone just like shoplifting cost all of us.  There is a lot of quality free software out there.  And there is a lot of quality proprietary software out there. I do not see a day when ALL software is free.  For one cooperate America would not have it that way.  The real model I see emerging is the two feature set software.  The lower or lesser featured application is free.  The upgraded software is fee based.  I think this is a great model that provides simple software for a simple need.  It also creates a revenue stream and an incentive for the developer.

Think of this.  What if M$ offered a very slimmed down version of office for free and a more feature rich version for a fee.  That would be a great thing in that I could have what I need in Office, simple word and simple excel, while meeting the needs of people who need all those advanced features.

On a side note I do not want to purchase office, however, those I work with send me office documents.  As a work around I use the free reader provided by M$.  Not as effective as I would like.  Office is $400 full retail.  It is purely a business decision.  Is it worth my time to copy those documents to Open-Office?  At this point it is.  If I received documents daily it would not be.

Please no flames.
------------------------
Keith Smith


--- On Thu, 1/22/09, James Finstrom <jfinstrom at rhinoequipment.com> wrote:
From: James Finstrom <jfinstrom at rhinoequipment.com>
Subject: OT: Microsoft layoffs
To: "Main PLUG discussion list" <plug-discuss at lists.plug.phoenix.az.us>
Date: Thursday, January 22, 2009, 9:26 AM

http://www.alleyinsider.com/2009/1/microsoft-layoffs-live-msft

I lived a short while in Washington and knew many Microsoft employees so in a general sense Microsoft laying off 5000 people sucks but in another sense I would like to think that this is partially our (the Linux world's) doing. Having to compete with (free as in beer) software and pirates it really is hard to keep going. This shows a flaw in strategy for the Redmond folks.  I would say if they did a survey especially of the 30 and under crowd about piracy 80+% would see nothing wrong with it and would not morally classify it as stealing. this mind set is really going to be the death of sold software. It is often said people don't adopt Linux because because there is no reason too when they can get the other stuff free too.  We live in an age where information/data is free (as in beer) weather that was the intent of the creator or not.  Just amaizing that one of the richest companies in the world is not sucking it up and eating loss for a few years. I
 do have to wonder though if bill gates was still at the wheel if they would eat it. Bill gates love him or hate him is a verry generous person and I believe he would have fought this over all. 



James Finstrom
Rhino Equipment Corp.
http://rhinoequipment.com ~ http://postug.com


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