Microsoft is doomed and they know it!!
How you say? Let me explain. As Intel hardware based PCs gets cheaper and cheaper guess what becomes the most expense component? If you said Windows OS you win the prize. I tell you why Microsoft is bashing *nix the reason is they need the market share. They are getting their ass kicked in the middle tier of the enterprise by Linux and they don't even come close to Solaris, HP, etc in the upper tier. Sure they can keep the desktop market but as the PC price keep coming down they will eventually have to cut into the margins on the Windows OS, the PC Makers (DELL) will force them watch and see.
I think this is the reason MS started the XBox. As OSes become a commodity the only way to make money on them is package them all together with Hardware. Hmmm who does that now, Apple, Sun, HP, IBM. In the next few years youly see MS slowly shift its Business Model from mainly software to more hardware (Look for Mobile Phones by MS coming soon). They will keep Windows going by giving it to PC makers and then selling it as a service to the end user (like MSN, 19.95 a month). This is where I think they will start to decline. People will not pay monthly for a crappy OS no matter how many applications you integrate into it (IE, WORD, etc).
Oh, if you are wondering how MS will do all the above I have one word, .NET .
Thats right turn the OS/applications into web services and nickel and dime everyone to death. They already started doing it now with Media Player.
Yeah I don't think MS will ever be gone from the Intel PC desktop but I do think the desktop will be gone. I think it will evolve into something more compact and much less expensive than now (like under $200). I mean face it where MS makes its money is from people like my parents who buy computer evey two years and takes the load of crap windows that comes with it and uses it to e-mail and word process. So the only way MS can make money at that point is control the hardware and man are there some big fish to fry to do that. That's why they are jumping into the Game Console arena and Mobile Devices arena they still may have a little breathing room there.
shutting down crystal ball,
ooartist
How you say? Let me explain. As Intel hardware based PCs gets cheaper and cheaper guess what becomes the most expense component? If you said Windows OS you win the prize. I tell you why Microsoft is bashing *nix the reason is they need the market share. They are getting their ass kicked in the middle tier of the enterprise by Linux and they don't even come close to Solaris, HP, etc in the upper tier. Sure they can keep the desktop market but as the PC price keep coming down they will eventually have to cut into the margins on the Windows OS, the PC Makers (DELL) will force them watch and see.
I think this is the reason MS started the XBox. As OSes become a commodity the only way to make money on them is package them all together with Hardware. Hmmm who does that now, Apple, Sun, HP, IBM. In the next few years youly see MS slowly shift its Business Model from mainly software to more hardware (Look for Mobile Phones by MS coming soon). They will keep Windows going by giving it to PC makers and then selling it as a service to the end user (like MSN, 19.95 a month). This is where I think they will start to decline. People will not pay monthly for a crappy OS no matter how many applications you integrate into it (IE, WORD, etc).
Oh, if you are wondering how MS will do all the above I have one word, .NET .
Thats right turn the OS/applications into web services and nickel and dime everyone to death. They already started doing it now with Media Player.
Yeah I don't think MS will ever be gone from the Intel PC desktop but I do think the desktop will be gone. I think it will evolve into something more compact and much less expensive than now (like under $200). I mean face it where MS makes its money is from people like my parents who buy computer evey two years and takes the load of crap windows that comes with it and uses it to e-mail and word process. So the only way MS can make money at that point is control the hardware and man are there some big fish to fry to do that. That's why they are jumping into the Game Console arena and Mobile Devices arena they still may have a little breathing room there.
shutting down crystal ball,
ooartist
)