Submission + - Nokia Purchase Marks End of Microsoft's Signature Strategy (slate.com)
McGruber writes: Slate's Farhad Manjoo points out that the Nokia purchase marks the end of Microsoft's operating system strategy. Until now, Microsoft Windows had been software that that runs on lots of companies’ hardware, a platform to unite disparate manufacturers’ devices. Now, Windows will be much like Apple’s iOS and Mac OS: proprietary software attached to proprietary hardware—Microsoft’s code running on Microsoft’s devices.
Manjoo's column doesn't mention it, but old timers like myself remember that Microsoft's strategy predates Windows — it actually dates back to DOS 1.0! Microsoft has always followed this strategy — Xenix, OS/2 and all versions of Windows all ran on generic clone computers. Remembering that history helps explain (to me at least) why Ballmer and Microsoft have been so slow to change.
Manjoo's column doesn't mention it, but old timers like myself remember that Microsoft's strategy predates Windows — it actually dates back to DOS 1.0! Microsoft has always followed this strategy — Xenix, OS/2 and all versions of Windows all ran on generic clone computers. Remembering that history helps explain (to me at least) why Ballmer and Microsoft have been so slow to change.
