Why Microsoft Can’t Be Beat - Really!
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Today, January 1, 2007, I finally discovered why Microsoft has absolutely nothing to fear from Google, Apple, or Linux. This morning started with an email from my niece asking, after reading my update post, if she should be running an anti-spyware program. That was easy. Then another email from a friend asking about an AVG update they couldn’t get. They had failed to read a post in which I described that AVG had upgraded to version 7 and that version 6 would not be supported any longer. And then the grandson was over and asked why he couldn’t log on to a Web site to play a game. Seems the site was down, because none of my systems could connect.
And then it happened. The skies cleared, the sun sparkled, and a rush of light passed before my eyes. It hit me. These folks are not geeks and couldn’t care less about Windows. They don’t know what a driver is and hardware… must be a hammer you buy at ACE. And an Apple to them is something you purchase in the produce section of the supermarket and Linux is some kind of a car. They won’t upgrade to Vista, because they will just toss out that old PC and get Vista on the new system.
Microsoft knows this. These people have no intention of trying something new no matter how many articles we read about someone buying a Mac or going to Linux because they have had it with Windows. For every one person who has made the switch to another OS, there are thousands who are buying their first computer with Windows on it.
And I had another revelation. Actually this one I have been thinking about for a while. Imagine if Windows was 100% secure and there were no problems with it. Imagine if there were no upgrades and everyone was just happy with, say, Windows 98. How many people would be out of work? Think of all the programmers, software vendors, supply chain people and everyone whose livelihood depends on new and greater products.
And there would be no me writing about Windows. 
Final proof. I got another email from someone telling me how much she liked my Web site, even though she didn’t have a clue what I was talking about. Microsoft has gotta love these people.
4 Comments
Tim Hodkinson
January 1st, 2007
at 7:42pm
You’re a brave man, Ron. I don’t think there’s too many bloggers who would have the courage to say it so bluntly. Windows is the vending machine OS and most of us belong to the soda pop crowd. If only Windows was open-source. It would be interesting to see what others could do with it.
jos
January 8th, 2007
at 9:09am
Maybe you’re right..it sure does look like it. But what about up and coming former third world countries and some others that wont take the MS stuff for granted (let’s think about africa, china, the middle east and so on. Regions in the word with potential and eventually the power to force (at least) a reasonable part of the market?? I’m a microsoftie as well (just because all of the good games are available for “free”)..but trying to use and spread the linux belief. In the end maybe it’s just good to have some opposition on the field…everything in life is about politics anyway
Greetz
J
David
September 9th, 2007
at 7:00pm
Sorry but your theory is wrong. I definately agree that most users could care less what they are using, and will use whatever they are given. The thing your are missing though is that those same users rely on nerds like me to fix spyware issues etc.
Nerds like me have been training on linux and other alternative OS’s, and it’s only a matter of time before we get tired of fixing windows and install one of those alternative operating systems on grandma’s computer.
As that happens over a long time, more and more users will be used to linux and other operating systems. At the same time there is a trend of companies selling linux machines at walmart etc.
Point being that linux will eventually become normal for the very users your talking about, but it will take a long long time.
Ron Schenone
September 10th, 2007
at 4:56am
Hi David,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us. As more companies like Dell, Lenovo and possibly HP produce machines with Linux on them, it could very well become more popular.
Ron