Former Windows Chief on Microsoft Vs. Open-Source 387
prostoalex writes "Brad Silverberg, former chief of Microsoft Windows division, who left the company in 1999, is being interviewed by the Milestone Group, on Microsoft specifically, and the software venture capital world in general (Silverberg is currently working as managing partner for Ignition Partners). He provides an interesting viewpoint on Microsoft's understanding of open source: 'I don't think they have figured that out yet, I think that is clear. They are struggling with not so much open source, per se, but rather they are no longer the low price solution. In the past Microsoft was the low cost solution and Microsoft was then competing and attacking expensive proprietary systems from below. Now for the first time the tables are turned and it's Microsoft that's being attacked from below by a lower price solution. Microsoft needs to figure out how it can demonstrate better TCO to justify its higher prices. Another aspect to that, which is an area I think Microsoft is also struggling with, which is when you are as successful and dominant as they are, how do you continue to foster that ecosystem? What really propelled Microsoft Windows success was an ecosystem that they created that allowed other people to benefit from your success. Actually your success was really a side effect or byproduct of their own success.'"
More "Studies" Due Soon (Score:2, Funny)
"Microsoft needs to figure out how it can demonstrate better TCO to justify its higher prices."
By funding more objective [adti.net] "studies" [theregister.co.uk], no doubt?
If not now, then when? (Score:3, Funny)
There is a lot of emotion and a lot of psychology in the market and I think we are starting to see some of that again. We are encouraged that the market is growing warmer, but it is not time to throw caution to the wind.
Oh, that's good to hear. I just need my advisor to tell me when it is time to throw caution to the wind.
Wheeeee!!
Re:Bzzt (Score:5, Funny)
The Lord of the OS (Score:4, Funny)
Bill Gates as The Dark Lord (aka Sauron)
Microsoft Corp as Mordor
Balmer, et al as The Nine
Linus Torvalds as Elrond
RMS as Gandalf
Tux as Frodo
Microsoft Windows (TM) as The One Ring
and Darl McBride as Gollum
Sorry, just thought of the parallelism while I was R'ing TFA.
Re:Bzzt (Score:5, Funny)
Yes, and a Big Mac is a low price solution compared to the alternative of a 5-course dinner banquet.
The PC didn't compete with the mainframe. It still doesn't, really.
I think you were thinking about minis, e.g. PDP:s, VAXen, and the like.
They competed for the same space as the PC, as an office computer. Those were killed off by the PC:s, obviously to the extent that some have even forgotten them completely!
As for "Low cost alternative", I do agree. The PC was a low cost alternative to a mini, and Microsoft Windows made the PC a low-cost alternative to the Mac.
How about.... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Let TCO wars begin.. (Score:5, Funny)
They already have; if you go to getthefacts.com [getthefacts.com] and if you fill out a form there, they'll Airborne Express a rather expensive-looking packet filled with facts about Windows and Linux, including:
~jeff
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Re:Bzzt (Score:2, Funny)
Then why do they have such a poor image now? Why do you suppose even so many anti-MS technical users are still using windows today?
The answer is not marketing, and for most people (probably you included) it is not vendor lock in either, no matter how much we like to blame that.
Could it be that the alternatives are either immature (desktop Linux) or prohibitively expensive (Apple)?
No, couldn't be.
Re:Hmm... (vertical markets) (Score:2, Funny)
i meant "bucks" of course..
PAT
borg collective (Score:3, Funny)
> your success was really a side effect or byproduct of their own success
that's why its called 'the collective'...