As I wrote the last post I see that Moneyline carried an article about how Microsoft is going to include a TV-Guide in Windows 98, thus knocking out the small company that is doing it already. According to this article, Microsoft and this company met last year to discuss if they would like to liscence the technology from the small company ( sorry, name escapes me) but talks fell through. Than, low and behold, Microsoft announces that they are going to do it with Windows 98. They had been planning this all along before the meeting. No, we didn't steal any ideas from them. Of course, they say, the small company can make money as long as they agree to conform to Microsofts criteria. If not, well, the graveyard can always hold more.
Now, What in the Lords name does an on-line TV guide have to do with operating systems? Oh yes, I forgot. We are just enhancing customer value. Well, if thats the case, just bundle in Excel and Word. Go ahead and jack up the price by 400 dollars or so. Whats the consumer going to do, go to Apple? Corel? OS-2? They got them by the short hairs and MSFT knows it. The only reason they don't do this is because of the DOJ. If they did bundle in the above, than it would be the death knell for MSFT as they stand today. But they could, which is the point. They are not held in check by competition, only by their fear.
OK, sorry the soapbox came out. Won't happen again or I will go to the I HATE MICROSOFT thread. |
