Since everyone seems to be explaining their positions,
I'll toss mine in...
In addition to several of the other views expressed,
one of my principle beefs with Microsoft is the unfairness
with which they treat outside developers due to Microsoft
refusing to voluntarily draw a line between areas it will
pursue and areas it will leave to others (i.e,, applications,
tools, utilities, etc). No developer of software (or
hardware?), in the current situation, can know whether
or not MS will decide at some point to hinder his product's
performance, or appropriate its segment (and to do so
in such a way that his livelihood is virtually removed).
This might not be so bad if MS were on equal footing
with the developers, but its ownership of the OS
franchise, and requirements that every developer for
the platform must provide them with business plan
information and development details, give them unfair
advantage in picking and choosing what to appropriate
for themselves, and how to most effectively hurt or
appropriate the product or segment for themselves.
One analogy is to governments, and in the U.S., when
appropriating property, governments must go through formal
and open processes and pay fair market value, for property
they appropriate. MS does not currently, by law, have to
do so, and it does not voluntarily do so. This is patently
unfair, and can only result in discouraging the
development of third-party software for Microsoft's OS
platforms. Another analogy is to a game in which one of
the players is free to alter the rules of the game
at will; after a time, the only ones who will join
the game are those: who have nothing to lose, who
don't understand the rules, or who are willing to bet
they can get what they want out of it in spite of the
capriciousness of the rules-making player. This isn't
an environment likely to draw the best talent or best
businesspeople into the game.
(I recognize that a particular form of intentional
market segmentation can be illegal, but there is and
has been plenty of room for Microsoft to voluntarily
draw boundaries and leave business to others without
violating the law - and to establish and follow
voluntarily-set rules of fairness.)
Lynn Betts
(standard disclaimer)