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To: Eric Wells who wrote (102072)	4/24/2000 10:30:00 PM
From: GST	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 164684

Eric: <Have you ever used any of the following Microsoft products> I bought my first computer in 1980, and yes I have used MSFT products such as the ones you list below. Could you point out which ones are original to MSFT and which ones are "improvements" to other people's software? <Excel Access Word Project Office FrontPage Visual Basic Visual C++ Visual Interdev> <What qualifications do you possess that support your position as a critical and knowledgeable reviewer of software products?> I possess the "ultimate" qualification -- I am a consumer of MSFT products. In the past week I made MSFT purchases twice -- Frontpage 2000 and Windows 2000. Windows 2000 crashed on me twice so far today. I am sure it is "my fault". Like many people, I buy MSFT for compatibility and the convenience of a company with the massive installed base MSFT enjoys. <And what evidence do you have of this?> Years of frustration as a user. BTW, OS2 was far worse than anything MSFT ever inflicted on me. IBM was more arrogant than MSFT in those days because of its own "dominance" issues. Fifteen years ago, if a consumer "dared" to say anything about their products, they would also have been attacked as technical incompetents. I bought OS2 and never managed to get it installed at all -- a real nightmare. IBM used to have MSFT's reputation for arrogance and it showed in their software as well as their attitude. <maybe you're a DOJ employee> I am flattered -- LOL. Now who is being paranoid? <before I start compiling a very long list of innovations that have been released in Microsoft products.> It would be hard to have a software company the size of MSFT that did not have anything to show for billions of dollars of software development. As for excel, I use it and "love it" -- but is it a good example of a MSFT breakthrough product??? It is a good spreadsheet. Thanks for all the hard work. I could never have done it myself -- but somebody else could. Sorry Eric, the world would, could and probably will go on with or without MSFT -- an ok software company, but a truly great marketing company, that just took things a little too far. It was great while it lasted -- but breaking the law and flaunting it will be the undoing of MSFT. As for breaking it in two -- perhaps two MSFTs are not enough. Take care. I am sorry if I dissed your sacred cow. Frankly, I think your reaction is the sort of thing that gives MSFT a bad name.