Page 1 of 1

Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2002 2:42 pm
by Steel
This is so cool, I hope they go through with it. :grin:
http://theregister.co.uk/content/4/24278.html

Edit: here's another link:
http://www.newsforge.com/article.pl?sid ... ode=thread

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Steel on 2002-03-06 13:47 ]</font>

Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2002 4:00 pm
by SecretSquirrel
I severely doubt this is gonna happen. Here's why.

The Windows OS is the foundation for everything else MS sells. Stop selling it, you eventually have to stop selling Office, Games, IIS, etc.

How much time and money would they have to spend to port all their apps to other OSes? They would have to do this or the above would happen.

Doing this would not only end the case, it would prove the DOJ's case, IMHO.

MS looks bad enough in the public's eye now. They would never recover from doing something so stupid.

-------------------

That said, I also don' think this would have the immediate impact everyone seems to think it would. The world isn't going to come to a halt is Windows stops shipping. First of all, there is an incredible number of copies alread in the channel. Second, what is the real lifetime of a Windows rev? My upgrade cycle has been about every three years and could be extended to five if I wanted. I'm pretty sure that the world could run on the current revs of 2k and XP for more than long enough for a viable replacement to be found.

----------------------------------------

On another note, we all poke fun at Mac and Linux zealots, but I have found a group of people worse than both (probably because they are made up of the most vocal of both): anti-MS zealots. Oh and worst of all are pro-MS zealots. :smile:

Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2002 4:11 pm
by Bruce
They're just sabre-rattling - it'll never happen.

Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2002 4:22 pm
by dan@imprezion
I agree, they are just threatening to get what they want. "if you want us to compete like everyone else, then we dont wanna play anymore..." the bottom line is that they will keep makin it because they still wanna make money :smile:

Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2002 4:58 pm
by Forge
Mommy, if you don't buy me that toy I'll hold my breath till I TURN BLUE!!!!!

*whaaaa*

Temper tantrum from a 5 y.o.

Their punishment for making such a ludicrous and obviously false statement should be being forced to follow through on it.

Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2002 5:04 pm
by Steel
Oh I know it'll never happen but I can hope, right? :grin:

I encourage MS to keep right on doing these kind of things. The more people MS pisses off, the more people we'll have seriously considering alternatives. The less people subjecting themselves to the whims of a single software vendor the better.

And if Microsoft follows through on their threat I'll be laughing myself silly for a week.

Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2002 5:04 pm
by Vrock
Haha.

Microsoft is just as stuck with Windows as we are. Ironic, isn't it?

Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2002 5:06 pm
by Speed
If MS is only bluffing, why do I suspect that the DOJ will fold anyway? :sad:

Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2002 5:25 pm
by Spune
This is probably a good marketing strategy for Microsoft. That which isn't being sold has no bugs! :wink:

Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2002 7:27 pm
by SecretSquirrel
On 2002-03-06 16:06, Speed wrote:
If MS is only bluffing, why do I suspect that the DOJ will fold anyway? :sad:



Because the DOJ admitted that they though they couldn't win the case they presented: http://news.com.com/2100-1001-852709.html

Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2002 10:21 pm
by cRock
The real irony of this is that the whole threat is based around their monopolisitic marketshare. MS is using the same tactics that got them in trouble to strong arm the Feds! I'm speachless.

Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2002 11:14 pm
by HowardDrake
Do you think that if they discontinue Windows, they will stop prosecuting people who reverse-engineer it? :smile: Give Windows a static target for a year, and hackers everywhere will be cloning it. Microsoft survives that by being a moving target :smile:.

-Howard

Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2002 2:27 am
by Speed
Cloning Windows == stealing Monopoly money

Posted: Sun Mar 10, 2002 10:52 pm
by 0oALio0
if they discontinue windows....i'll eat my hat :smile: