bundling thoughts

[Mark Szidik]

This is certainly an interesting crack in the Mickeysoft
attitude.  I hope you are right Marcel and all the software
vendors start to clamor for space on the XP desktop.  Sun should
push to get its JVM installed just like Kodak did - call up its
paid govt officials and whine to them.

THere is another interesting aspect of the article that I would
like to discuss.  The line is:  "...Windows XP will *steer* users
toward its own partners and not Kodak". [1]

Steering users.  Oh Thats a nice thought. I get an image of
cows being lead to slaughter.

Lets face it XP is no longer about software, this is about
manipulation.  The people on this list are smart enough to see
this, but unfortunately the vast unclean flock of Windoze users
will have no idea that they are being manipulated as M$ tools.

The whole XP/smarttags/.net/hailstorm/passport juggernaut really
makes me nervous.  I hope it fails miserably, but I doubt it
will.  M$ will cut sweetheart deals with companies to use their
"technology" exclusively and a relatively tiny group of people
like me who refuse to use Passport will be cut out.

If this .net mess succeeds I will be looking forward to a vibrant
under-net that survives on Free software.


Sheese I sure am in a dark mood today.

-Mark

[1] - my emphasis on steer.

People interesting in Marketing manipulation should read the book
by Douglas Rushkof "Coercion".



On Tue, 14 Aug 2001, Marcel Kunath wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I was just reading this:
>
> http://www.thestreet.com/tech/software/1517338.html
>
> and I am having thoughts.
>
> First of all I agree that Microsoft is violating laws by bundling its software
> products with its operating system. It builds an anti-competitive advantage for
> them. The only way this should be allowed is if competitors are as well allowed
> to deliver their products pre-installed or even pre-delivered (on the MS
> install CD).
>
> Overall I think this is not manageable and MS should not be allowed to bundle
> anything but just sell their cut down OS and deliver any additional software on
> extra CD to be installed by the user.
>
> Here is why. Now Kodak is powerful and has the ability to force Microsoft to
> the above concession. And now AOL and Real want in on the deal. Then it is
> Norton and then McAfee and then god knows whatever company. And who do you see
> left out? FSF.
>
> I don't know if this becomes general practice I would hope the FSF files a
> lawsuit and demands free software developers are as well given a piece of the
> pie and be allowed to put their programs on a users desktop. I could think of
> programs like NTEmacs and isn't there a vi for Windows? And this would prove
> how stupid the bundling argument really is.
>
> Case in point.....non-OS software may be bundled but only by delivery on CD. I
> figure all free software developers could organize and put together a CD which
> the user then uses to install free software and this CD is bundled with every
> PC sold which comes with Windows.
>
> I am curious to see what would happen if Jabber or so would ask for its IM
> client to be bundled with XP. I am sure Microsoft would get a laugh out of it.
>
> Hmmmm this makes me wonder if I should write this whole idea up and post it on
> linuxtoday.com and raise some awareness to the ludicriousness of this whole
> ordeal and see if maybe free software can get in on the deal....
>
> I know people hate my crazy ideas but heck you live only once. What do you
> think?
>
>  -- Marcel
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