Is Microsoft doomed?

[Laukev7]

http://www.fortune.com/fortune/technology/articles/0,15114,466180,00.html

How ironic that Microsoft's ultimate attempt to gain total control of the market and the consumers may ultimately spell its downfall.

We can only hope.

[gump420]

On the other hand, it's quite uncommon to find a man who won't succomb to greed when the stakes are high enough.

So, just consider for a moment how high M$ will be willing to raise the stakes on a bribe that may decide whether the company continues to survive or perishes . . .

[jasonlane]

There doomed anyway, there old hat, left behind, in the dust, history, un-inventive, monolithic, crap.

Even some of the people in the street know that M$ is trouble.

Let's hope they go tits up and soon. However the question is begged to be asked, what impact if M$ does go under will it cause within the industry?

[Laukev7]

Imagine how much the bribes are going to cost to Microsoft, even if they don't go tits up. Add this to the possible trillion dollar state lawsuit on MS Passport security...

It may make a huge impact, but at least it will end the dark ages of DRM computing. Bye bye, Microsoft; hello Apple and Red Hat.

[ July 23, 2003: Message edited by: Laukev7 ]

[jasonlane]

quote:Originally posted by Laukev7:
Imagine how much the bribes are going to cost to Microsoft, even if they don't go tits up. Add this to the possible trillion dollar state lawsuit on MS Passport security...

It may make a huge impact, but at least it will end the dark ages of DRM computing. Bye bye, Microsoft; hello Apple and Red Hat.

[ July 23, 2003: Message edited by: Laukev7 ]

Lets' hope so. Who will fill the vacuum though do you think? Do you actually think the M$Passport case will ever get to court?

One thing is for sure, never has a company or organization deserved it so much. I hope it's a painfull death.
 

[Great_Satan]

This seems to involve product activation.  It seems ironic that Microsoft has to use illegally obtained intellectual property to protect their own.  Now I don't feel so bad about my Dell Inspiron laptop sitting under the couch with unactivated Windows XP on it.  I paid $999 for it.  They (at Microsoft) told me to go to Dell for help.  Maybe it can be activated without charge.  I had to reinstall it, but haven't activated it yet.  I also have Mandrake Linux 9.1 and Red Hat 8.0 CDs which I wanted to try installing on the laptop, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.  If you do an internet search using the keywords "Inspiron" "2650" and "Linux", you can find web pages and posts on message  boards where people discuss installing Linux on the Inspiron 2650.  I'll see if I can find the patent they're talking about (at the US Patent and Trademark Office).

[ July 23, 2003: Message edited by: Great_Satan ]

[Laukev7]

quote: Lets' hope so. Who will fill the vacuum though do you think?

Personally, I hope it's Apple, at least for the desktop market. Linux is OK, but best as a server OS or for entreprises. To each what it does best, I say.

 

quote: One thing is for sure, never has a company or organization deserved it so much. I hope it's a painfull death.
 

I think that truly malevolent companies are very rare, and I seldom make simplistic judgements like branding a company or even a person as good or evil. But with everything taken into account, as far as underhanded business tactics go, Microsoft is a big exception in the world of capitalism, and even by other huge corporations standards, Microsoft is the worst, most unethical company I have ever seen.

[ July 23, 2003: Message edited by: Laukev7 ]

[Great_Satan]

Here's a list of InterTrust US patents from the EAST database system at the USPTO.

6449367
6427140
6389402
6363488
6292569
6253193
6240185
6237786
6185683
6157721
6138119
6112181
5982891
5949876
5943422
5920861
5917912
5915019
5910987
5892900

You can view them here:

http://patft.uspto.gov/netahtml/srchnum.htm

See
http://www.uspto.gov/patft/help/images.htm

http://gb.espacenet.com/

[ July 24, 2003: Message edited by: Great_Satan ]

[ July 24, 2003: Message edited by: Great_Satan ]

[Great_Satan]

Here's InterTrust's US published patent applications

20030105721    
20030088784    
20030084003    
20030069749    
20030069748    
20030046244    
20030041239    
20030023856    
20030002673    
20020112171    
20020048369    
20020023214    
20010042043    
20010026618

http://appft1.uspto.gov/netahtml/PTO/srchnum.html    


These are InterTrust's PCT patent applications

WO2093515
WO2063410
WO9948296
WO9924928
WO9901815
WO9837481
WO9810381
WO9809209
WO9743761

http://ep.espacenet.com/

WO9948296 WO9924928 WO9901815 WO9837481 WO9810381 WO9809209 WO9743761 work here
http://ep.espacenet.com
but the first two don't for some reason.

[Stilly]

I think it will have to take several things to bring down MS, if they have the .net thing at about the same time and maybe something else like if MS was really behind all forms of cancer then maybe they would die

but hopefully this will hurt them pretty bad

[cahult]

Let

[solarismka]

Well there is already lindows.  And a whole bunch of easy distros that make joe nobody the shit.  

In fact I already feel that RH8 is waaaayyyy easier than windows!

[Great_Satan]

>if MS was really behind all forms of cancer then maybe they would die

Phillip Morris (now Altria) still survives.  Check out their stock (ticker symbol MO).
http://www.bigcharts.com
Over 6% dividend, too.