Carlton Lee

Singapore

Linux IT

Microsoft hasn't begun to deal with the biggest issues:

1. Why pay premium prices for a product that is essentially 30 year old and was initially created by companies other that Microsoft. Patents have run out. Proprietary formats break ability to share files and create problems for long term storage. What do users/companies do for files that need to be stored and accessible for 20 or 100 years. It worked in Word 2 but not Word 2040.

2. Total cost of ownership should be going down for Microsoft solutions but they Microsoft keeps increasing costs for their products and never men TCO costs for Virus protection and repair.
Who pay for the virus problems in Microsoft - WE ALL DO and these costs should be explained and detailed in their GET THE FACTS RIGHT studies. Take a look you don't find these costs detailed.

3. As Open Source moves into the Hardware arena costs for purchase and support of hardware products should go down, at least for Open Source solutions. Another Microsoft hidden cost that is not detailed in their GET THE FACTS RIGHT propaganda. 1. When a closed source hardware company goes out of business often the hardware becomes useless, especially if the end users needs to then upgrade to the latest version of Microsoft X. The solution is broken and they will not be able to obtain driver for their hardware. Hidden cost: (many closed source drivers are built using Microsoft tools and software. Not fixable. additional extra Microsoft cost. 2. Open source drivers for hardware would allow upgrading drivers as and when needed. For example: moving hardware around, changing operating systems, solving the problem of maintaining systems for long periods of time. (You know that document that they need to open up thats 40 years old and on a 40 year old server.) 3. One side benefit is that this older hardware could then be sent to a developing country and used by people that need computer equipment, just any equipment. With the Microsoft solution you might as well through it away. (Eventually I believe that hardware manufactures will be required by law to maintain drivers for hardware for a minimum period of time. Or to simply open source them.)

4. As I told my then employers in 1996. Linux is going to clean Microsofts clock. Unless they diversify.

The Xbox is where Microsoft is going. Just a question, if Microsoft really thought they would win the server and desktop thing against Linux don't you think they would drop the Xbox and concentrate on solving security and virus issues. It seems sort of funny. People lose millions of dollars because of security problems, virus's and technical issues and Microsoft is playing with games.

Go figure!