Bill Gates Is In My Coffee!
- July 7, 2008 - 5:24pm
- Mood: not awake
- Watching: Pirates of Silicon Valley
- Listening: Saltwater by Chicane
- Reading: ...an article in eWeek about Satan -- I mean Bill Gates.
- Drinking: Cofffffeeeeeeeee
Eh. It's too early!
Of course, it's almost 1 pm here and I've been up for about 50 minutes...but it's still too fucking early! No, I'm not a fan of "mornings." (Note: for me, "morning" is the first two hours after I claw my happy ass up out of bed, no matter what actual time of day that is. Last Thursday, 7-9 pm was "morning" for me. 
)
But I have coffee and Napalm, so what more do I need? Well, a few hours of cuddling with my guy wouldn't be unwelcome. 
So I got my new issue of eWeek today, and guess who's on the cover. That's right, Satan himself, Bill Gates. Yeah, lovely image to wake up to FIRST THING, huh? 
The article is titled "End of an Era" and has the tagline "As Bill Gates steps down from day-to-day activities at Microsoft, eWeek examines how he shaped the business of computing."
From what I've read of the article so far, it seems to be nothing more than a farewell ass-kissing of the world's biggest (and, yes, richest) nerd who's made a fortune and built an empire not on stolen technology (though that is true), but on half-assed, shoddy technology that, despite being third class as far as stability and reliability are concerned...have become the "standard" by which all others are measured.
And unfairly measured at that! When you look at Apple and its products, and measure them up head-to-head with Microsoft, Apple outlasts, outperforms, out-everythings Microsoft on every front. And still, people sneer at Apple (or God forbid, Linux!) and say "Yes, well, it's not Microsoft."
I'm sorry, but when did being "not Microsoft" become a BAD thing??? 
Quite simply, it's because people are sheep, and sheep are frightened of change. Even when you look at the "400,000 officially registered partners and 240,000 companies that work with Microsoft technologies without a formal relationship,"* those companies are still run by people, the purchasing and tech decisions are made by people, individuals who are presented with a choice, and make it. (And let me tell you, it's NEVER the IT guys who are making that choice, it's always some senior exec. who's dazzled by the flying Windows logo on his screen saver....)
We like what is comfortable. We like what is quicker, faster, first. Even if something else comes along later that is clearly superior, once the first product has its hooks in us, we become akin to heroine junkies, drooling over our next fix.
However, when it comes down to it, Microsoft did give it to us first. No one can deny that Microsoft is a marketing machine, and that its sales tactics are sheer brilliance. In fact, we could (and many, I know, will) say that Microsoft's success rests solely on its marketing devices. Look at Windows ME and Windows Vista for proof. We were assured that these platforms would completely revolutionize the way that we computed and change the world of the PC as we knew/know it. And yet...ME was on the shelf for, what, six seconds before they pulled it and released something newer and better? And Vista.... 
Do I need to say more?
I know in many cases here, I'm preaching to the choir. Being (for the moment) predominantly a video gaming audience, who are automatically younger (and thus immune to the great IBM domination of the 80's and don't remember Windows 3.1, or only used it because it's all your parents had), and more tech savvy (how many of you are running Apple or Ubuntu boxes, or would if financial/parental resources would allow for it?), you probably agree with me that Microsoft is Hell, and Bill Gates is its underhanded ruler. But my question to you, my faithful readers and friends, is this: What's going to happen to Microsoft now? Will Gates' loosening of the Microsoft reigns allow for more creativity and better production of products? Or is this the first scoop out of a slowly deepening grave that will see Microsoft buried in X years? Can Microsoft remain the power player in the computer industry without Gates' soulless autocracy running the helm, or is this the chance that Apple and the Open Source community have been waiting for to fill the vacuum that will inevitably be left as Gates steps down?
(*Statistics from eWeek, June 30, 2008, sidebar p. 31)
Comments
ɤdedredhed
Gamer Chick
Undefined, unusual, unrestrained.
non-conformist:not conforming to some norm or socially approved pattern of behavior or thought.
ӝTheHalcyon
Dungeon Goddess
Haly
ɤdedredhed
Gamer Chick
Undefined, unusual, unrestrained.
non-conformist:not conforming to some norm or socially approved pattern of behavior or thought.
ӝTheHalcyon
Dungeon Goddess
Haly
ɤKingofClubs
Won The Internet
Don't worry the raisins will save us.
They're SUN DRIED!!
ӝTheHalcyon
Dungeon Goddess
I'm right at the bridge between the generation who won't change from the old and familiar, and the generation that is CREATING better options for us all.
It's an interesting position to be in.
Haly
ɤdedredhed
Gamer Chick
Undefined, unusual, unrestrained.
non-conformist:not conforming to some norm or socially approved pattern of behavior or thought.
ɤKingofClubs
Won The Internet
Don't worry the raisins will save us.
They're SUN DRIED!!
ɤquickdraw
Played Final Fantasy Games Before FF7
Let's be honest for a second. Linux has too much of a learning curve for the average pc user. Do you really think 90% of the people you work with could figure out Ubuntu, let alone one of the more difficult distros to use? Bah!
And Apple's problem is price. While their products may be superior in many ways, the price tag is a big turn off. Myself included. Why would I want to pay over a grand for a machine that looks pretty and runs well, but has few options? I'm a gamer, and Macs are the farthest thing you want if you are a gamer. Hell ... even Linux is better for gaming than Macs are.
So as I tell everyone who asks my opinion on the matter - if what you want is versatility and ease, then yes Windows is for you. No need to sell someone off on a mac pro if all they want to do is surf the net and send emails. And surely no need to tell them to pick up Linux if they aren't tech savvy. Anyone who is asking me for my opinion on which OS to choose has probably never heard of Linux, and it's all for the better.
I FPS, therefore I get pwned.
ӝTheHalcyon
Dungeon Goddess
Haly
ɤSilentkey
Wipes Groups For Fun
ӝTheHalcyon
Dungeon Goddess
Haly
ɤSilentkey
Wipes Groups For Fun