Published by Robert Pogson December 31st, 2010
in technology.
Emma Alvarado sued M$ in 2009 over the silly and costly XP “downgrades” for people buying PCs that came with Vista. The court disallowed class action and eventually ruled that M$ had not been shown to profit from the practice. Perhaps the dog ate the money but M$ and its partners never do anything without raking in huge amounts of cash.
She is tenacious and is suing again on more limited grounds, California law, which may better protect the consumer.
Going into business in any field is risky and opens one to legal suits but releasing beta software and charging money for it when customers really preferred previous products is a recipe for disaster.
I would have preferred Emma to organize a bunch of InstallFests, but each to his own… An InstallFest has the immediate reward of freeing people from enslavement to the monopoly and it is a lot of fun after the hard work of preparation is done. Legal suits tend to be draining of time and money for an uncertain result. In this case, I have no doubt that M$ is guilty of something be it poor business or gouging or anti-competition but justice delayed is justice denied and hardly worth the bother. Getting the world to use Free Software is a much more satisfactory result.
- Robert Pogson
Published by Robert Pogson December 31st, 2010
in technology.
2012 likely will be the year that M$ gives away use of its OS generally. In 2011, that other OS will lose major share in the ARMed world and ARM will invade the Wintel domain by the end of 2011 in desktops, notebooks, netbooks and servers. In 2012, M$ will have to give away licences to its OS in all these areas.
There will be a few niches remaining. The rich will still be glad to pay a lot for an expensive OS. Some businesses and professionals who make enough money in one day to pay for all their IT for a year even with M$ getting its tax will be glad they don’t have to exert any effort to change. But everyone else will have the choice, know they have the choice and make the choice for Free Software. That will derail the Wintel monopoly forever in 2012. Don’t worry about M$. They can diversify, cut margins and layoff staff just like other businesses. Don’t worry about Intel. They can diversify, cut margins and layoff staff just like other businesses but neither will be able to count on positive cash-flow just because they exist.
No amount of advertising, FUD, bribery or corruption will keep the Wintel monopoly strong after 2012. M$, Intel and their “partners” will have to earn a living the old-fashioned way, by working for a living.
see http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1934490/analyst-googles-chrome-bury-windows
see http://displaydaily.com/2010/12/14/google-sees-life-in-the-cloud-wo-windows/
- Robert Pogson
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