Microsoft needs to fix its antitrust problems soon infoworld.com
This one sort of speaks to the issue of those "nonexistant" secret APIs, and other stuff too.
Our readers' desperate pounce on any tidbit of useful Microsoft insider information reminded us of our own struggles with Microsoft's technology and the sometimes frustrating lack of information about key components of the Windows architecture. It also made us think a little about Microsoft's recent contretemps with the Department of Justice.
Microsoft officials often wonder publicly what their company did wrong to deserve the negative attention in the press and legal circles. We saw one reason in the e-mail flood we received seeking -- begging for -- answers to just one of the many riddles of the Windows platform.
Before people can like Microsoft, they have to like Microsoft's products. And before they can like Microsoft's products, they need to understand how they work. All the wealth being stockpiled by the multitude of Windows consultants out there is no match for the loyalty of a billion end-users with a reliable and easily accessible place to go for help.
Until then, do not -- repeat, do not -- send your Windows questions to the Test Center. Even our monthly stipend from Microsoft doesn't guarantee them favorable product reviews, let alone free technical support.
And that's the problem I've got with the whole "browser/OS" integration line. Maybe it's true, who knows? But, I think beyond the comprension of those outside the sacred inner circle just isn't going to cut it in this matter, when that's part of the problem to begin with. The world's supposed to rely on the 14m lines in Windows 95, and the 27m lines in Windows NT, for all its future computing needs, knowing no more about the internals than what Microsoft chooses to say? Which, in turn is dictated more by "standard business practice" than sound technical reasons? Sorry, it just doesn't sound like a good idea to me. I also very much doubt it will hold up in court.
Cheers, Dan. |
