Microsoft to Cut Windows Licensing Price by 70% to Compete with Apple

[Arfdog]

That kind of says it, the last part. People here don't bother with Windows. It sometimes feels like some people here have an "All Apple, all the time" approach. Even the ones that like something else (usually Android ) seem to have a seething hatred of anything Microsoft for no good reason.

Are you kidding me? I've dealt with Windows since 3.0 and it probably peaked at 3.1 or perhaps 95. W7 which I am using now is bearable because it's somewhat stable.

All this hatred towards MS stems from: the stupid and all-too-frequent errors. I don't necessarily get the BSOD anymore, but I sure as hell get random "can't do it" errors, which are caused by software, the OS, or the OS not working with the software. Ctrl-alt-del city, baby.

The developer is going to have a damn hard time planning for all the opportunities for error because the OS lets anything do anything at any time. Who can plan for errors that even MS doesn't know is possible due to the millions of permutations? It's the Wild West.

That's why it's the OS's job to standardize modules and APIs like animation, graphics, physics, the desktop, video playing, music playing, etc... so the software has to ask permission from the OS to use anything. Seems like all Windows can be bothered with is managing the clock, the HDs, the video card, and the CPU, and the RAM. And maybe the root directory.

 

[jduffy]

It's a terrible time for Microsoft.

Google sells ads and makes money from it.

Apple sells hardware to make money

They both give the software free.

How Microsoft will make money from its software if competitors are giving away free.

Ouch! A terrible paradigm shift.

This is an incorrect belief. Both Google and Apple sell software. The cost of the OS in Apple's case is bundled into the hardware. You just do not see it, but for each Apple Mac/iOS device sold, a portion of the price is allocated internally as a software sale within Apple.

The only reason you see it with MS is because the hardware manufacturer is relying on MS for the software instead of creating the OS internally as is the case with Apple.

Google also "sells" software. They do it by selling it as a service just like Office365/Live. It's crap but cheap people buy it.

Microsoft is becoming more like Apple and Google is becoming more like Microsoft.

Pick your poison, but in the end, you are paying for software, it just might be hidden from you.

 

[Michael Goff]

Nope, trying to use a new Lenovo. Work-issued. Sucks ass, especially when trying to use touch with the browser.

Ouch. A bad machine can provide a bad experience, but that doesn't mean the underlying OS is bad.

Are you kidding me? I've dealt with Windows since 3.0 and it probably peaked at 3.1 or perhaps 95. W7 which I am using now is bearable because it's somewhat stable.

All this hatred towards MS stems from: the stupid and all-too-frequent errors. I don't necessarily get the BSOD anymore, but I sure as hell get random "can't do it" errors, which are caused by software, the OS, or the OS not working with the software. Ctrl-alt-del city, baby.

The developer is going to have a damn hard time planning for all the opportunities for error because the OS lets anything do anything at any time. Who can plan for errors that even MS doesn't know is possible due to the millions of permutations? It's the Wild West.

That's why it's the OS's job to standardize modules and APIs like animation, graphics, physics, the desktop, video playing, music playing, etc... so the software has to ask permission from the OS to use anything. Seems like all Windows can be bothered with is managing the clock, the HDs, the video card, and the CPU, and the RAM. And maybe the root directory.

"I've used Windows for a long time".

Ah, one of those people. A person who believes that they can throw around "I've used it a lot" to explain why it is somehow only "somewhat stable" when I've had yet to find somebody (and I'm surrounded by tech illiterates and a few somewhat good people) who have BSoD's on either 7 or 8. Well, okay, initially one did. Then they updated their drivers?

BLAMO.

As for them standardizing things... they did. And it works quite well. Somehow you're not able to get it to work, unlikes a majority of the world has been able to get it to work.

 

[akbarali.ch]

This is an incorrect belief. Both Google and Apple sell software. The cost of the OS in Apple's case is bundled into the hardware. You just do not see it, but for each Apple Mac/iOS device sold, a portion of the price is allocated internally as a software sale within Apple.

The only reason you see it with MS is because the hardware manufacturer is relying on MS for the software instead of creating the OS internally as is the case with Apple.

Google also "sells" software. They do it by selling it as a service just like Office365/Live. It's crap but cheap people buy it.

Microsoft is becoming more like Apple and Google is becoming more like Microsoft.

Pick your poison, but in the end, you are paying for software, it just might be hidden from you.

True, but you didn't get my point here. I know we pay for the software and hardware and other services that comes along. My point was the way Apple gets money from you is by selling you a bundle hardware/OS but not as separate OS, there's no OS market for Apple. Same way Google gets your money from you viewing their Ads which is bundled in Hardware/Software/services. Microsoft primarily gets your money from OS and the hardware is provided by third party vendors.
Current MS business model is unlike xbox/PS/Wii/Surface (Hardware/Software/services bundle)

Well Surface like business model is what MS needs to succeed into

 

[Arfdog]

Ouch. A bad machine can provide a bad experience, but that doesn't mean the underlying OS is bad.



"I've used Windows for a long time".

Ah, one of those people. A person who believes that they can throw around "I've used it a lot" to explain why it is somehow only "somewhat stable" when I've had yet to find somebody (and I'm surrounded by tech illiterates and a few somewhat good people) who have BSoD's on either 7 or 8. Well, okay, initially one did. Then they updated their drivers?

BLAMO.

As for them standardizing things... they did. And it works quite well. Somehow you're not able to get it to work, unlikes a majority of the world has been able to get it to work.

Again, this machine i'm speaking of was work-issued.... and this major company is extremely diligent about upgrades and updates and security fixes. There are about 2-3 new updates per week. It's not me, and since it's a major company (tens of billion $ revenue), they are dead serious in making sure the machines work. And they do, but not without a lot of bandaids and headaches... all to use legacy MS Office software.

The problem is the Windows OS and secondly the jumble of hardware that most PCs are (although i'm sure a quality company like Lenovo tests them hardcore).