My inference is that hardware would not have been standardized without Microsoft or some other aggressive, unifying business entity.
I've actually had good luck with PCs, but I've been a Mac user since 1984 and an Apple user for four years before that, a UNIX user about the same length of time, and have built my own machines for close to fifteen years now. Buy Intel motherboards :) and try again. --- Ron Miller <ronsmiller at comcast.net> wrote: > Your inference suggests that hardware would have stayed expensive > without Microsoft. I don't buy that. In my view, hardware would have > dropped regardless because the price of the components dropped over > time, completely independent from the PC's relationship to Microsoft. > > In fact, I would maintain that competition in the OS/Office > productivity space in the 90s would have eventually resulted in > making these items commodities, which would have reduced the overall > cost of ownership dramatically. Proof of this is the number of free > office productivity and operating systems that have developed in > today's more open environment. These products would have developed > sooner had Microsoft not been allowed to artificially control pricing > and the market. > > I would agree that there it would have created a more difficult > environment for us as tech writer to produce documentation, but I > have the feeling it would have worked itself out, just as it has with > browser-based help that works regardless of the operating system in > place. As for Apple, people continue to buy the product in spite of > its higher price because it isn't a one for one comparison. There is > a quality factor, ease of use and stability that I've yet to see > matched in a PC. And I speak as someone who is relatively recent Mac > owner, but has used PCs since 1985 > > Ron > > Ron Miller > Freelance Technology Writing Since 1988 > Contributing Editor, EContent Magazine > > email: ronsmiller at ronsmiller.com > blog: http://byronmiller.typepad.com > web: http://www.ronsmiller.com > > Winner of the 2006 and 2007 Apex Award for Publication Excellence/ > Feature Writing > > > > On Oct 19, 2007, at 2:50 PM, Chris Borokowski wrote: > > > I'm somewhat thankful they did, as the result was a standardization > of > > hardware that allows $500 to buy a better quality machine than a > $1500 > > Macintosh or $2500 custom UNIX. Sometimes aggression in business > can > > produce very fortunate results for us little people. > > > > --- Ron Miller <ronsmiller at comcast.net> wrote: > > > >> In my view, the only reason Windows has dominated personal > computing > >> is because Microsoft bullied hardware company into selling its > >> products. It told computer manufacturers throughout the 90s when > it > >> built its domination to either use only Windows or to have to pay > >> more for each copy if they didn't. > > > > http://technical-writing.dionysius.com/ > > technical writing | consulting | development > > > > __________________________________________________ > > Do You Yahoo!? > > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > > http://mail.yahoo.com > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > > You are currently subscribed to Framers as ronsmiller at comcast.net. > > > > Send list messages to framers at lists.frameusers.com. > > > > To unsubscribe send a blank email to > > framers-unsubscribe at lists.frameusers.com > > or visit http://lists.frameusers.com/mailman/options/framers/ > > ronsmiller%40comcast.net > > > > Send administrative questions to listadmin at frameusers.com. Visit > > http://www.frameusers.com/ for more resources and info. > > http://technical-writing.dionysius.com/ technical writing | consulting | development __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
