Microsoft vs. * Antispyware/Antivirus programs?

[Ergot]

If I made a business that sold cans specifically designed to hold coca-cola beverages, and they decided to make their own beverage holders, there isn't much I can really do. I could sue, but they'd laugh at me.

If Microsoft stopped using CD-ROMs to distribute Windows, I doubt they'd get sued. 

The idea is having a service that everybody uses (fine, Coke).  Then, you have lots of major companies develop products revolving around the product.  Say, straw makers and ice cube makers (ignore the fact that they can be used for other drinks for now ).  The companies' businesses revolve purely around your product.  Then, you decide to start including ice cubes and straws with your product, effectively driving all the other companies into bankruptcy. 

That's pretty much what this is: if Microsoft has a good anti-virus product included in the OS, then all the companies that provide them will likely not survive.  That's scary. 

Did you just use "Microsoft" with "good" in the same sentence without "not" ? Scary.

[Newby]

He said if! :p

[Ergot]

Fine. But those people were just making money off Microsoft's failures...

[Joe]

The computer-illiterate user's view of Microsoft vs *nix

*nix: A bunch of kids got together and created an operating system designed for crackers to use, which is too primitive and complicated for day-to-day use.

Windows: Hm, Bill Gates is rich and he has a company. Lets buy from him.

[Sidoh]

No, you're completely wrong.  A computer-illiterate user's view of Microsoft vs *nix would look like this:

*nix:  Wtf is that?

Windows: Oh yeah... I use that, I think

[Newby]

The computer-iilliterate user only knows of Macintosh (Apple) and Windows (Microsoft).

[Armin]

Thus, I win.

How do you win? If anything, you lose even more, look back at the definition.

(Noun) monopoly
 1. A situation where there is only one company is providing a certain product or service. The company gets to choose the price it wants.

You said Microsoft doesn't have a monopoly. This sentence proves that even McDonalds, let alone Microsoft, has a monopoly.

[iago]

Thus, I win.

How do you win? If anything, you lose even more, look back at the definition.

(Noun) monopoly
 1. A situation where there is only one company is providing a certain product or service. The company gets to choose the price it wants.

You said Microsoft doesn't have a monopoly. This sentence proves that even McDonalds, let alone Microsoft, has a monopoly.

More than one company provides hamburgers and drinks.  And chicken bits.  And they don't get to charge anything they want, because if McDonald's made their Big Mag $20, I'd go buy a Whopper for $3.79.

[Armin]

Oh, I missed that, "there is only one" part of the definition.

EDIT: If you want to be all technical about it, you win, but IMO, the definition for monopoly has changed ever since Microsoft came around.

[Sidoh]

Oh, I missed that, "there is only one" part of the definition.

EDIT: If you want to be all technical about it, you win, but IMO, the definition for monopoly has changed ever since Microsoft came around.

Honestly I don't think so.  Because the computer industry requires a somewhat technical audience, it hides the vast choices of options that are open to the public.

Microsoft doesn't have a monopoly, especially according to the definition iago provided.

[Armin]

Think of it like this then: Microsoft has a monopoly on the Windows kernal, which is the most commonly used kernal. No other company makes operating systems which uses a Windows kernal except Microsoft, and they can charge whatever the hell they want because of this. Microsoft does have a monopoly, and if they made it so their anti-virus is the only one that works on their operating system, they'd be illegally using that monopoly.

[Sidoh]

Think of it like this then: Microsoft has a monopoly on the Windows kernal, which is the most commonly used kernal. No other company makes operating systems which uses a Windows kernal except Microsoft, and they can charge whatever the hell they want because of this. Microsoft does have a monopoly, and if they made it so their anti-virus is the only one that works on their operating system, they'd be illegally using that monopoly.

McDonalds is the only fast food resturant that has a Big Mac, but they don't have a monopoly.  If Microsoft started charging $2,000 for Windows XP, I highly doubt many people would stay with windows.

That wasn't a very good point.

[Armin]

Think of it like this then: Microsoft has a monopoly on the Windows kernal, which is the most commonly used kernal. No other company makes operating systems which uses a Windows kernal except Microsoft, and they can charge whatever the hell they want because of this. Microsoft does have a monopoly, and if they made it so their anti-virus is the only one that works on their operating system, they'd be illegally using that monopoly.

If Microsoft started charging $2,000 for Windows XP, I highly doubt many people would stay with windows.

That's because it's not even afforadable. I'm sure though, that the people who did have an extra $2,000 laying around, would still use it. I'm sure that definition has it's reasonable limits.

I guess this also brings it down to however sombody interprets that definition, mainly how the judges of the court systems do.

[Joe]

Microsoft has a monopoly over 95% of the computer users in the world. The could, and do, charge many hundred dollars for a single copy of Windows or Office, and people keep on buying.

However, the other 5%, that being the Linux community, gets out of that because we understand how to use the free software.

Thats my story and I'm sticking to it. =)

[Blaze]

So people who use mac's are... 0% of the industry?