bundling thoughts

Sean picasso@madflower.com
Tue, 14 Aug 2001 10:30:02 -0400 (EDT)


I would call you a hypocrit, you bitch about how bad M$'s business
practices are then in the next breath proclaim supporting their
business practices by wanting to bundle software for it.

It boils down to economics, this isnt very hard economics.  If you _use_
(yes this includes warez) anything that only works on Windows, then in
fact you are supporting M$ in their endeavers, If you cannot find what you
_need_ on another platform then you aren't looking hard enough.

This includes helping people install Windows, fixing their machine,
proclaiming a M$ only game is the greatest, etc. You basically are giving
the green light to M$.

It really isnt that hard to live without M$. It really isnt hard to say no
i can't fix your machine, or no I haven't played quake22 for windows, or
no I don't have a copy of Window XP you can borrow to install on your
machine. And it really isnt hard to find the software you need to be a
productive.

Sean





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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