Kevin Gowen wrote:

> Cory Nelson wrote:
>> Kevin Gowen wrote:
>>
>>> Cory Nelson wrote:
>>>> Darrien wrote:
>>>>> Anytime someone has problems with Microsoft products, all they can
>>>>> seem to say is: "Drop M$ (I'm so cool^W l337, I spelt M$ with a '$'
>>>>> hur hur hur) use Linux" Without bothering to say WHY you should use
>>>>> Linux.
>>>>
>>>> Hmmm... apparently you take things _way_ too seriously.  I've
>>>> contracted out to Microsoft in various forms over the course of
>>>> years, and am merely using a symbolic (if not over used by some
>>>> groups) representation of M$ for Microsoft, based on _my_ feelings
>>>> towards the company as a whole.
>>>
>>> What feelings of yours does writing "MS" as "M$" represent? The
>>> earth-shattering proposition that Microsoft is in business to make a
>>> profit?
>>>
>> For starters:
>>
>> 1) Microsoft relies on bloated advertising budgets and leveraging
>> their dominant market position to sell their
>> less-than-release-candidate-quality software.
> 
> Wow. Imagine a corporation doing that in order to turn a profit. Wow.

If they put out _quality_ software that was worth the price, I'd probably
say otherwise.

> 
>> 2) They tend to _borrow_ intellectual property and turn it around for
>> a profit without giving credit where it's due.
> 
> Wow. Is that anything like StarOffice?\

Sure - Star Office runs on Solaris, Windows and Linux, and has an outrageous
pricing and licensing scheme.  Did I mention anything to make you believe
otherwise?  We were talking about Microsoft.

> 
>> 3) It costs about $100 to call their tech support (beyond initial
>> support periods) to get answers to problems like Mike C. posted in
>> his original problem statement to this newsgroup.  Of course, far
>> more than that for Enterprise Customers.
> 
> Wow. The unmitigated gall.

Exactly.

> 
>> 4) Shoddy, profit-driven licenses that don't even make sense.  For
>> example, Microsoft imposes a per processor license fee on OEMs,
>> regardless of whether or not the box has a Microsoft O/S.  This taxes
>> small retailers in the sense that Computer Manufacturing is a high
>> overhead, low markup business.  The OEMs cant absorb the increased
>> overhead.
> 
> Wow. Shame on Microsoft for holding guns to people's heads in order to
> make them pay license fees.

Sorry, this just doesn't make sense.  It's not that they're holding a gun to
someone's head to get license fees that they are not paying, it's holding a
gun to someone's head to make them pay for something that they're not
selling.

> 
>> I think much of my animosity stems from abuse of position and power as
>> opposed to utilitarian ethics... anyway, I'm completely rambling.
> 
> Let me know when they start abusing their position and power.
> 
Indeed - this boils down to a difference in opinion as to what's abusive.