[Am-info] Microsoft's competitors

[John J. Urbaniak]

John Poltorak wrote:

> I keep hearing Bill Gates banging on about Microsoft's competitors...
>
> Microsoft's core business is the development of operating systems for IBM
> compatible PCs and applications to run in that environment. Almost 100% of
> PCs come with Windows pre-installed and Microsoft Office is used in the
> vast majority of organisations. Anyone know how much of the market it
> actually holds?
>
> I'd like someone to nail this myth about competitors - Microsoft does not
> have any. None of Sun, IBM, AOL, Novel or others who are sometimes quoted
> could, in anyone's wildest imaginations be considered as threats to this
> monopoly.
>
> However, given that we live in an alleged free enterprise world, what
> would be so wrong about Microsoft having the odd competitor. We can see
> what competition has done to the price of the Xbox. Why should Microsoft
> be so protected from the real world in its monopoly in the PC desktop
> market? The cost of Windows and MS Office is held artificially high by
> lack of competition and this does real harm to consumers.
>
> How come no one gets this point?
>

Pro-Microsoft Press bias.  Uninformed Press.  Toady Press.  Whatever.  The
Press is supposed to inform us, but they don't.

John