Most people would still buy their software provided that it was priced
reasonably.
Microsoft Office ***upgrade*** version is over $300.
If I were Microsoft I'd use OSS as a jump off point, slap a pretty user
interface on it and sell it with support.

--
JD Austin
Twin Geckos Technology Services LLC
jd@twingeckos.com
480.288.8195x201
http://www.twingeckos.com


Fred Allen  - "Television is a medium because anything well done is rare."

On Thu, Jan 22, 2009 at 9:26 AM, James Finstrom <
jfinstrom@rhinoequipment.com> wrote:

> 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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