Re: How Microsoft Beat WordPerfect/The Evidence

["Charles Kelly, NT*Pro" <ckelly@cpcug.org>]

  I remember ordering hundreds of computers for my workplace during that time
  frame (late 90 - early 91) and we ALWAYS had to specifically ask for
  Windows 3.0 (and hope we could get all the drivers needed for
  peripherals--they weren't readily available). DOS was the "default"
  shipping operating system for all the major companies we ordered from... In
  fact, there was an item number for the Windows "option" - actually it was
  more like a factory installed, extra-cost add-on.
  
  I really don't think it took the computer manufacturers very long to figure
  out that they could get a much, much better price per unit if they could
  license with Microsoft to pre-install Windows on all the computers they
  sold. Especially since the big majority of their customers were asking for
  Windows.  (this paragraph is conjecture on my part--clearly labeled) This
  was when you started seeing the cost of Windows as a no-extra-cost,
  pre-installed option.
  
  Charles
  
  
  At 12:23 PM 11/8/97 -0500, Tod Landis wrote:
  >Yes, Charles.  That's evidence.  Included in the calculations
  >you refer to was the fact that Windows would come pre-installed
  >on many machines.
  >
  >Tod
  >
  >Charles Kelly, NT*Pro wrote:
  >
  >> You call that evidence?
  >>
  >> Microsoft, if they had any leg up, had their experience developing these
  >> same desktop apps for the Macintosh. They were, and still are, a top
  >> deleloper/seller of Macintosh applications.
  >>
  >> WordPerfect, Lotus, and the others knew about windows (this was version 3.0
  >> remember). They kept advertising how their DOS apps would run under
  >> windows, placing their bet on that strategy. They owned the market in
  >> desktop productivity apps. They had the "monoply" in those days, remember?
  >> Those DOS apps were cash cows for them. They wanted to keep that revenue
  >> flowing in. They also wanted windows to fail--they felt that by not
  >> immediately releasing windows versions of their products that Windows would
  >> fail. And they were almost right.
  >>
  >> They made calculated business decisions. These were bright calculating
  >> people. To presuppose any differently is to do them a huge injustice.
  >>
  <MAJOR SNIP>
  >> .-