Re: If Windows 98 is delayed, we're all in trouble?

[Mitch Stone <mstone@vc.net>]

In reply to John Robert BEHRMAN's message sent 4/7/98 3:06 PM:

>The DoJ may be the least of MS problems with Win98. They are getting the to
>end of the DOS/WIN kludge/string.

It might be the end of something, but perhaps not quite the end you've 
predicted.

Assume for the moment that Win98 fails to find an active upgrade market, 
which as you say, is where the money is. Certainly this was the case for 
the upgrade path to date. But if the upgrade market were negligible, 
hereinafter Microsoft would be better off leaving bad enough alone and 
providing only modest upgrades to Win95. After all, they've already got 
most of the public thinking Windows is "good enough."

But they won't, because a new game is afoot. The only "advantage" of 
Win98 over Win95 is the active desktop and integrated browser. These 
"innovations" can be shoved down the compliant OEM pipeline whether 
consumers really want them or not.

As I see it, Win98 signals the fruition Microsoft's new revenue model 
(which is part old revenue model). This is: (1) use the new OS to break 
old applications, and (2) use it to leverage themselves into new markets, 
in this case, internet commerce. Put it this way: they can afford to 
-give away- Win98 if it wins them the internet prize, because that's 
where the -real- money is now.

   Mitch Stone
   Editor, Boycott Microsoft
   http://www.vcnet.com/bms 
 +---
   ...it would have made a dreadfully ugly child, but it makes 
   rather a handsome pig, I think. --- Lewis Carroll