If Microsoft made toasters
I believe that Microsoft’s domination of the PC software market has dulled and altered our expectations of the ‘fit for purpose’ and ‘use from the box’ aspect of all - not just computer software - products we now shell out our hard earned for.
Everyone knows that any new Microsoft product - particularly operating systems - will not work to 100% expectations, and that some ‘work-arounds’ will be necessary. In fact, bugs and work-arounds are the new first cuckoos of Summer. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of computer geeks want to be the first to discover a bug in the latest MS product, and also be the first to produce an online work-around.
My analogy of this phenomenon is the Microsoft toaster….
BBG - Before Bill Gates - anyone that purchased a toaster that only toasted one slice, instead of two, would automatically return the unit, demanding their money back or a replacement. ABG - After Bill Gate - If anyone buys a Microsoft toaster, they will readily accept that it will only toast one slice. They will not return the unit, but instead go online to find a work around - probably either toast one slice at a time or cut the slices extra thin (with a freeware or shareware slicer) and turnover manually.
Surely this can’t be right? Why shouldn’t we expect 100% reliabily from tecnology products? Why don’t we demand recompense when we pay for goods, services or software that’s doesn’t do exactly what it says on the box?
If anyone has any information about the Civil War service of Light Company A, Second U.S. Artillery, please contact me via this site. I am particularly interested in individual members of the battery - officers, non-commissioned officers or privates.
SPECIAL NOTICE: Over the next few weeks I will be migrating all the existing information about Battery A from this site to one decated to the subject. See Battery A 2nd US Artillery link in Blogroll below.
Microsoft needs strong (stronger, bigger than Apple and Linux) competition or an inspired leader, like Steve Jobs, to innovate for the consumer. I guess it would’ve been exciting, and that PC’s (and the world?, perhaps, because BG would’ve received more money {money from both competitive halves} to invest in his charitative initiative) would today be better if Microsoft was split by the court instead of given the chance to be a monopoly.
Andrés
June 19, 2007
I agree wholeheartedly.
vistasucks
June 20, 2007