Microsoft without Bill Gates?:

http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2022807649_briercolumn01xml.html

Wonder what would happen to MS if that happened? Good thing? Bad?

Originally posted by sonhouse
http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2022807649_briercolumn01xml.html

Wonder what would happen to MS if that happened? Good thing? Bad?

I don't think it changes much at this point. I've always viewed Gates as more of a businessman than a highly technical person. He basically got where he is by taking other company's ideas and repackaging them with better business models.

Originally posted by SwissGambit
I don't think it changes much at this point. I've always viewed Gates as more of a businessman than a highly technical person. He basically got where he is by taking other company's ideas and repackaging them with better business models.

I'd suggest gates has peddled crap (extremely effectively) under the name Microsoft for a long time. Microsoft will continue to peddle crap with or without him.

Originally posted by pineapple42
I'd suggest gates has peddled crap (extremely effectively) under the name Microsoft for a long time. Microsoft will continue to peddle crap with or without him.

get linux!

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
get linux!

You think I didn't? :-)

Originally posted by pineapple42
I'd suggest gates has peddled crap (extremely effectively) under the name Microsoft for a long time. Microsoft will continue to peddle crap with or without him.

I'm not sure this is fair (even if said in jest), given Microsoft's overall output. While it's certainly "cool" to rag on Microsoft, with some justification, the products that it produces aren't actually all that bad. The problem is that the general impression of Microsoft has been molded by rivals such as Google and Apple, who have for the most part successfully portrayed Microsoft as a 'has-been' company with subpar products.

But this isn't necessarily the case. For example, let's consider a particularly dismissed Microsoft Product: Internet Explorer. The general impression of IE in recent years has been less than stellar (http://www.thethingswesay.com/img/4414.jpg), but recent versions (9. 10) are actually quite good. My main web browser is Chrome, but out of curiosity I tried out IE 9, and its performance in many ways surpassed Chrome; better tab-handling (I usually have 50-100 tabs, which causes Chrome to frequently crash/slow down), speed (page downloads were lightning-fast, even compared to the high-quality speed I'm accustomed to), with solid menu-options and tools. While I didn't make a permanent switch due to the number of pages I've already bookmarked/favorited in Chrome, if I were to have to start from scratch I would very possibly choose IE.

This is typical of Microsoft in many ways--it actually makes a good product, but lacks the marketing touch that made Apple so extraordinarily successful. Unfortunately, the eventual failure or disuse of their products represents a massive loss of investment and capital, which could have otherwise had a positive impact on technology--all due to stereotypes that have been established and almost certainly reinforced by casual customers who,in an attempt to conform to what they expect society to agree with and value, nonchalantly dismiss Microsoft as a declining company making a second-rate product.

Originally posted by abejnood
I'm not sure this is fair (even if said in jest), given Microsoft's overall output. While it's certainly "cool" to rag on Microsoft, with some justification, the products that it produces aren't actually all that bad. The problem is that the general impression of Microsoft has been molded by rivals such as Google and Apple, who have for the most part succes ...[text shortened]... h and value, nonchalantly dismiss Microsoft as a declining company making a second-rate product.

the failure of Internet explorer was due to the fact that it was not customisable, in fact, its one of the few products that Microsoft gave away free and were forced to give away because of the popularity of Netscape.

Open source is far superior because you have a much broader spectrum of input and a much broader spectrum of ideas, that is why Microsoft will continue to diminish, not because they are perceived to be uncool, but because their products are close sourced.

google chrome is a marketing tool for google corporation, i wouldn't touch it with a thousand barge poles all welded together because I value privacy.

The best and fastest browser for android is dolphin.

Originally posted by abejnood
I'm not sure this is fair (even if said in jest), given Microsoft's overall output. While it's certainly "cool" to rag on Microsoft, with some justification, the products that it produces aren't actually all that bad. The problem is that the general impression of Microsoft has been molded by rivals such as Google and Apple, who have for the most part succes ...[text shortened]... h and value, nonchalantly dismiss Microsoft as a declining company making a second-rate product.

I can sell most people on Firefox just by reminding them it has Ad-Block. Most people love that extension even if they are not into extensions in general.

For those who do like customizing, I've got some RHP scripts at

bigdogghouse.com/RHP

Again, IE users sit out in the cold on this one. Sorry.

Originally posted by abejnood
I'm not sure this is fair (even if said in jest), given Microsoft's overall output. While it's certainly "cool" to rag on Microsoft, with some justification, the products that it produces aren't actually all that bad. The problem is that the general impression of Microsoft has been molded by rivals such as Google and Apple, who have for the most part succes ...[text shortened]... h and value, nonchalantly dismiss Microsoft as a declining company making a second-rate product.

Apple succeeds because its niche is the "too cool for school" tech rebels. Steve Jobs had a hand in that for sure, and it was easy to admire Steve Jobs.

I've been a loyal user of Microsoft from back in the day (remember DOS, anyone?) and I have not had reason to abandon them until I moved from IE to Firefox a few years ago. I moved to FF for the security, and I see no reason to abandon security for speed as with Chrome. I don't trust Google as far as I could throw them anyways. I still use Windows 7.

Originally posted by SwissGambit
I can sell most people on Firefox just by reminding them it has Ad-Block. Most people love that extension even if they are not into extensions in general.

For those who do like customizing, I've got some RHP scripts at

bigdogghouse.com/RHP

Again, IE users sit out in the cold on this one. Sorry.

Thank you for those scripts!

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
Thank you for those scripts!

You're welcome, bro.

Originally posted by Suzianne
Apple succeeds because its niche is the "too cool for school" tech rebels. Steve Jobs had a hand in that for sure, and it was easy to admire Steve Jobs.

I've been a loyal user of Microsoft from back in the day (remember DOS, anyone?) and I have not had reason to abandon them until I moved from IE to Firefox a few years ago. I moved to FF for the securit ...[text shortened]... with Chrome. I don't trust Google as far as I could throw them anyways. I still use Windows 7.

I had to fork out yesterday for an iphone 4s, thankfully the little might, bless im, did not want the new iphone 5 otherwise I was gonna be duped again, another faceless victim of teenage fashion! apple products do the same as anything else but cost twice as much, they are a rip-off.

In the early days of graphic design Apple Macs were the biz simply because they had way more processing power and as everyone knows graphics takes processing power, apple invented the graphical user interface which Gates ripped off and made into crappy windows.

They will both suffer because of a closed approach and an unwillingness to share ideas, good riddance to them.

Originally posted by SwissGambit
You're welcome, bro.

😀