Re: MS Gets Quick Appeal

[Mitch Stone <mstone@vc.net>]

In reply to Dan Strychalski's message sent 1/5/98 7:37 PM:

>On Wed., Dec. 31, Mark Hinds quoted from a report carried on the Wired 
>site --
>
>   William Neukom, Microsoft's senior vice president for law and corporate
>   affairs, argued that leaving the fate of Windows 98 in such an uncertain
>   position could endanger the entire US economy. He cited previous missed
>   release dates causing stock market tumbles to back up his assertions.
>        <http://www.wired.com/news/news/business/story/9437.html>, 97-12-30

The year-end economic reports once again credit our persistent 
"goldielocks economy" (moderate growth rates and low inflation) to the 
influence of technology-driven productivity. This much may be true. But I 
also recall a study released this past year which concluded that the 
average worker lost 25% of their working hours to computer deficiencies 
of one sort or another. 

Since about 90% of the world's computers run Microsoft OS software, it 
stands to reason that a roughly 20% loss of productivity can be 
attributed directly to Microsoft. In other words, if people were using 
technology that wasn't poorly designed and generally dysfunctional (read: 
not peddled by Microsoft), they would spend less time futzing with their 
computers, and more time using them. The productivity gains would be 
phenomenal!

The point: Neukom and Co. have it exactly wrong. The best thing that 
could happen to the economy is if Microsoft never released another 
product, and the field was turned over to software developers who 
actually knew what they were doing.

   Mitch Stone
+---
   Editor, Boycott Microsoft ** http://www.vcnet.com/bms 

   If the price seems too good to be true, it generally is.
                                 -- Jim Lowe, Microsoft attorney