Stitch,
Hey buddy, don't get me wrong. Bill Gates and Microsoft deserve great praise for enabling the technological revolution of the past decade.
Many people can write code but none can package and sell it to the masses like Microsoft. Is his the best vision? Are his applications things of technical beauty? A resounding NO.
Microsoft is merely the most successful technology company with the highest market capitalization in the world. Bill Gates is merely the richest man around. Who am I to criticize?
I do believe that PCs are at an inflection or evolutionary point where Gates and Microsoft are faced with a brand new challenge. Penetration into a market that doesn't care about computers, technology, or (for lack of a better phrase) personal growth. If pressed, I would go so far as to say 40% market penetration is about 50% beyond the percentage of people capable or interested in using a full function computer. They are using the technological marvel that is the PC to "chat" about beanie babies.
In the past, Microsoft has merely had to present a way to communicate more efficiently, be more productive, or be more creative.
Now, in order to expand its market, it has to entertain the masses without confusing them. I wonder if they can do it.
There, I just lost my hippie idealism license,
Yogi |
