Re: Intuit's CEO calls for 'OS neutrality

["Eric M. Bennett" <ericb@pobox.com>]

Brett Glass wrote:

>Unfortunately, as I mentioned in a prior message, software vendors
>have painted themselves into this particular "corner" by failing
>to promote other environments.

Exactly.  It's a circular argument, and Harris needs to break out of it.
Intuit could market its products for alternative OSes since Microsoft
doesn't even bother to develop financial software for them.  Microsoft is
not a direct threat to this type of development, whereas--by its constant
"integration" of features into the OS--it *is* a direct threat to
development on Windows.  If Intuit is afraid of Microsoft, it should
probably be more concerned about losing the market for its Windows
software, not potential customers who use other OSes.

Netscape has done well developing for large numbers of operating systems.
More companies should follow that path.



--
Eric Bennett (http://www.pobox.com/~ericb/)
Cornell University, Field of Biochemistry, 377 Olin Chemistry Lab

Piano, n.  A parlor utensil for subduing the impenitent visitor.  It is
operated by depressing the keys of the machine and the spirits of the
audience.
-Ambrose Bierce