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Microsoft is Fast Turning into a Sideshow

Yet the faithful want to believe. The sales tell the real tale. We have been freed at last! Thank you Google/Apple/Palm/Blackberry & so many more!
 
I read both articles and Microsoft doesn't have smooth sailing ahead. The facts about sales are what they are - not good. Nonetheless both articles, more so the first one, are hysterical in tone and not very thoughtful or in depth. Neither article mentions the success of xbox 360 which is the number one device used by the public to merge tv and Internet. Neither article mentions other areas of Microsoft strategic penetration because they are not easily described and probably not understood by the typical ignoramus that writes a business article. Surely the dominance once held by Microsoft is likely doomed but that doesn't mean it is or will be an irrelevant and unprofitable company.
 
Not so fast, you hysterical, ignorant, and biased business article writers.

Here is some news reported in Engadget which basically proves that MS is far from over and far from irrelevant.

"Despite some launch hiccups with Windows 8 and its related devices, Microsoft has received a smashing bit of news in the form of a new $617 million licensing agreement that will bring the fledgeling OS to 75 percent of US DoD personnel. The deal also includes Office 2013 and Sharepoint 2013 Enterprise, and will let users access the software "from any location, and any supported device, while taking advantage of enhanced security," according to Redmond. Microsoft added that the agreement was "the most comprehensive" it's ever signed with the sprawling government arm, which plans to use the software for a wide range of priorities from cybersecurity to mobility. Meanwhile, the software giant is working to achieve the coveted, though highly unwieldy-sounding "Army Golden Master and Air Force Standard Desktop Configuration" compliance for Windows 8 -- which we imagine is a good thing, and hope to never have to type out again. To reconnoiter further, check the sources below."


Where is Googles $617 million dollar licensing agreement, or Apples $617 million dollar licensing agreement? Nowhere.

The adoption by DoD will undoubtedly cause the thousands of contractors with DoD and their employees to adopt Windows 8. It will also influence a huge number of large corporate business that don't do business with DoD because they will feel that if DoD trusts the products so should they. Any decision maker at the many corporations throughout the world that needs to make a decision on operating systems and security will take this as a sure sign that MS is the safe bet for them. There is a great multiplier effect to a purchase like this. How do I know? Is it because the bible told me so? No - it is because we have seen this before in the recent past.
 
Hey, I worked for government IS for years. If they pick a product you can safely assume it is out of date, incorrect for the job and way overpriced and more. Hardly a ringing endorsement but more if a reason to avoid it!
 
The DOD deal is a nice bit of business, but it also involves selling product at rock-bottom prices. I'm sure it's marginally profitable and it allows MS to get its products in front of a lot of consumers, but I tend to think you're making a bit much of it here.

I've begun to wonder whether it might be more fruitful for MS to break itself up into several businesses. They have many profitable lines of business and many successful products, but no defining line of business or product. They are a giant, cash-rich, still-profitable company searching for a future. It might be easier for individual, smaller, more-focused companies to innovate and find that future.
 
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DoD certification on 8 are not new MS licenses, previous AGM was Windows 7 / Server 2008.

MS has a strong grip on the enterprise desktop, they just have limited success in the consumer entertainment market.
 
SmithOp said:
DoD certification on 8 are not new MS licenses, previous AGM was Windows 7 / Server 2008.

MS has a strong grip on the enterprise desktop, they just have limited success in the consumer entertainment market.
Click to expand...

The article is very clear. DOD is buying licenses. Whether or not some on TUG think a DOD purchase of a fortune in licenses should not be considered a ringing endorsement, DOD contractors and potential contractors will want windows 8 for their workforce. This clearly involves a fortune in future licensing for Microsoft.

Microsoft is not known for losing money on it's licensing of its os and flagship programs.

Once again, I have said that the dominance Microsoft once had is likely over but I wouldn't be dumping Microsoft stock because some uninformed business writer thinks that Microsoft is on the sidelines.
 
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Those that don't learn from the past repeat it. MS products are the past. No need to repeat that mistake. We have a bright future now.

The Government is the poster child for backwards looking IS - this is the last gasp of the fan boys. Google Docs is more compatible with Office Docs than Office is! You are well advised to look to today's software products - and those are no longer MS based.
 
timeos2 said:
Yet the faithful want to believe. The sales tell the real tale. We have been freed at last! Thank you Google/Apple/Palm/Blackberry & so many more!
Click to expand...
Why are you thanking apple for "freeing" you , the only true OS that have "freed" anyone are ones that are open source and allow software developers access to source code for free

Btw I love this snapshot of Balmer, looks so evil and I imagine him saying "I will crush you"
 
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timeos2 said:
Yet the faithful want to believe. The sales tell the real tale. We have been freed at last! Thank you Google/Apple/Palm/Blackberry & so many more!
Click to expand...

Freed? Let me be free of companies that want to pry into every corner of my life, track everything I do, mine that data for every piece of commercial value, keep my data in their servers where they assure me it is perfectly safe and would never be used for any malicious purpose.(trust us, our motto is do no evil).

I intend to keep myself as free of the emerging borg as I possibly can.
 
T_R_Oglodyte said:
Freed? Let me be free of companies that want to pry into every corner of my life, track everything I do, mine that data for every piece of commercial value, keep my data in their servers where they assure me it is perfectly safe and would never be used for any malicious purpose.(trust us, our motto is do no evil).

I intend to keep myself as free of the emerging borg as I possibly can.
Click to expand...

Hat is not Timeos2's idea of freedom, otherwise he would abhor Google.
 
T_R_Oglodyte said:
Freed? Let me be free of companies that want to pry into every corner of my life, track everything I do, mine that data for every piece of commercial value, keep my data in their servers where they assure me it is perfectly safe and would never be used for any malicious purpose.(trust us, our motto is do no evil).

I intend to keep myself as free of the emerging borg as I possibly can.
Click to expand...

You were created by the borg where posts are made by a fictitious character with a fictitious name that the borg claims to be you - whatever that means.
 
T_R_Oglodyte said:
Freed? Let me be free of companies that want to pry into every corner of my life, track everything I do, mine that data for every piece of commercial value, keep my data in their servers where they assure me it is perfectly safe and would never be used for any malicious purpose.(trust us, our motto is do no evil).

I intend to keep myself as free of the emerging borg as I possibly can.
Click to expand...

Google is very open about what they collect about users. MS secretive. Do you want the old hidden values or identified points? Or avoid them both but remember that others collect too j
 
timeos2 said:
Google is very open about what they collect about users. MS secretive. Do you want the old hidden values or identified points? Or avoid them both but remember that others collect too j
Click to expand...

Wow. Wow. Debating you is an game of mental gymnastics.
 
timeos2 said:
Google is very open about what they collect about users. MS secretive. Do you want the old hidden values or identified points? Or avoid them both but remember that others collect too j
Click to expand...

This is a company that believes that web censorship is not evil. This is a company that releases information that it has promised to keep private to government agencies without even notifying its users that it has broken it's agreement. This is a company that harvests personal information wherever it can find it without advising people that it is collecting the data. This is a company that has been found to retain the personal data it has surreptitiously collected after it has said that the information was deleted.

You certainly are free to believe they are trustworthy, reliable, and straightforward about what they collect, how they collect it, and what they will do with it. I think the facts clearly point otherwise, and M$ poses nowhere near the threat to liberty as do Google and the other companies of its ilk.
 
T_R_Oglodyte said:
This is a company that believes that web censorship is not evil. This is a company that releases information that it has promised to keep private to government agencies without even notifying its users that it has broken it's agreement. This is a company that harvests personal information wherever it can find it without advising people that it is collecting the data. This is a company that has been found to retain the personal data it has surreptitiously collected after it has said that the information was deleted.

You certainly are free to believe they are trustworthy, reliable, and straightforward about what they collect, how they collect it, and what they will do with it. I think the facts clearly point otherwise, and M$ poses nowhere near the threat to liberty as do Google and the other companies of its ilk.
Click to expand...

There is absolutely no privacy on the Web. :wall: It matters not what you do. Pardoxically there is no transparency on the Web. You and I chat on the Web using aliases. We could be anyone or anything. Perhaps we are simply two computer programs acting like humans. Neither you nor I can know for sure.
 
pgnewarkboy said:
There is absolutely no privacy on the Web. :wall: It matters not what you do. Pardoxically there is no transparency on the Web. You and I chat on the Web using aliases. We could be anyone or anything. Perhaps we are simply two computer programs acting like humans. Neither you nor I can know for sure.
Click to expand...

And your conclusion is...therefore there is no such thing as dubious, unethical, or downright lowdown business practices when it comes to the internet?
 
pgnewarkboy said:
Perhaps we are simply two computer programs acting like humans. Neither you nor I can know for sure.
Click to expand...

In regards to the posts you two usually make, that would explain a lot...




Only kidding. :)
 
T_R_Oglodyte said:
This is a company that believes that web censorship is not evil. This is a company that releases information that it has promised to keep private to government agencies without even notifying its users that it has broken it's agreement. This is a company that harvests personal information wherever it can find it without advising people that it is collecting the data. This is a company that has been found to retain the personal data it has surreptitiously collected after it has said that the information was deleted.

You certainly are free to believe they are trustworthy, reliable, and straightforward about what they collect, how they collect it, and what they will do with it. I think the facts clearly point otherwise, and M$ poses nowhere near the threat to liberty as do Google and the other companies of its ilk.
Click to expand...

As the next post correctly points out the web by it's nature means you are giving up what we long considered to be our private information. How much we willingly exchange for products/services we may use vs how much is collected on the sly are our only choices. Or stay off the web.

As I previously stated Google is fairly open on why/what/when they collect. MS has had multiple occasions (as has Apple and others) where only after the fact has it come to light that they too were collecting personal data & using or selling it without the knowledge of those PAYING for their product(s). That to me is far wore than a company/organization that tells you upfront we'll take XX information and use it to populate anonymously a database. Again - you don't have to use anything Google based and if you do they often don't charge for it. Compare that to the options from MS/Apple and it may well be the better choice. And sometimes not. Choice is good. It is that choice that represents the freedom I was referring to not necessarily that we are getting anything literally for free. One of my best college professors often repeated "Nothing is free". How right he was.
 
Sometimes I wonder if timeos2 and Carolinian are alter egos.
 
Beefnot said:
And your conclusion is...therefore there is no such thing as dubious, unethical, or downright lowdown business practices when it comes to the internet?
Click to expand...

No, that is not my conclusion. There are many lowdown business practices on the web and everywhere else. My conclusion is that there is not a company, individual, or program in existence that can provide web privacy. If a person wants privacy that person must stay off the web.

Just ask the DoD.
 
Beefnot said:
Sometimes I wonder if timeos2 and Carolinian are alter egos.
Click to expand...

:) I do on occasion find myself agreeing with Steve & it makes me stop to think for a minute or two. But when he 's right he' s right & when he's off base it may be WAY off base. But either way it's an honest opinion and I respect it. Some post seemingly just to "get a rise" from others. Those I tend to ignore.
 
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