Re: How Microsoft Beat WordPerfect/The Evidence

[Paul Ingels <ingelsp@initco.net>]

  So you know the rest of the story, the 1995 case against M$ was that they
  then forced the computer manufacurers to pay for Windows regardless if
  they installed it or not.  i.e. the manufacurers HAD to pay MS for a
  windows licence even if it shipped with OS/2, UNIX, etc.
  
  Paul Ingels
  
  Charles Kelly, NT*Pro wrote:
  > 
  > 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>
  > >> .-
  
  -- 
  
  Paul Scott Ingels
  M & P Enterprises
  
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