Help for moving off of Linux to NT is available!

Jeff Kinz jkinz at kinz.org
Thu Jan 12 11:02:01 EST 2006


On Thu, Jan 12, 2006 at 10:03:02AM -0500, Randy Edwards wrote:
>  > Actually, on a slightly more serious note, this Microsoft ad copy makes the
>  > same mistake some of their print ads do.  I quote: "Overall, more software
>  > revenue is generated on Microsoft Windows operating system than any other
>  > operating environment" 
>  
>    I noted something similar when I looked at the site's business case page.  
> They feature a graph of how many billions in revenues there were for various 
> operating systems.  Well, from a customer's point of view, that's generally a 
> *bad* thing -- you want the software company to be profitable enough to 
> ensure support and them staying around, but the idea that the max revenue is 
> the best thing is erroneous.
> 
>    Microsoft's errors will hardly be noticed though.  They're playing on the 
> American cultural mores that "more is better" and "greed is good".   Those 
> cultural factors combined with most people just briefly skimming the text 
> will ensure that they sucker in many people.


One thing that end user businesses (EUBs) frequently don't understand, is
that they are not Microsoft's customer.  MS' customers are the companies
which resell MS sfw.  I think this mis-perception is a core strength
of MS market share.

Just as Ben and Randy point out here, that MS is touting the fact the
more money is spent on MS platforms than any other platform, This is a
pitch to the MS re-sellers, not end user businesses.

Even if this pitch were pointed out to the EUB's, MS has crafted the
message so that it can be defended by saying "The large revenues are
from the high cost of each unit.  They are from the large number of
units sold.  MS is still cheaper than <other platform>."







-- 
Jeff Kinz, Emergent Research, Hudson, MA.
speech recognition software may have been used to create this e-mail

"The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men
of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding." - Brandeis

To think contrary to one's era is heroism. But to speak against it is
madness. -- Eugene Ionesco



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