[geeks] can't wait for Vista

[Mark Benson]

On 6 Nov 2006, at 06:46, Geoffrey S. Mendelson wrote:

>    Mark Benson said:
>> Tell em where they can stick their
>>> company and go join someone like Google...
>
> Google is IMHO and experience even worse.

I doubt any corporation is any better than another these days. Google  
are certainly not saints either but they seem to at least give  
development staff some interesting perks.

>> The only good part about Balmer is he might screw up enough to  
>> hurt the
>> company.
>
> I doubt it. People like what he is offering.

Can I qualify that to *some* people like what he is offering. The  
value of 'some' is decreasing, and every bad VIsta news story makes  
it shrink a little further.

> Even if they did not, what would they use?

A lot *do not* and more than ever people are finding viable  
alternatives that work for them.

> There is no viable option for most people.

There's a viable option out there for most, but the problem is more  
one of apathy of those who have the power to make users move, than  
the problem with users themselves. Companies don't try hard enough to  
offer competitive packages.

>> I wonder... is there anyone there who could oust him if he got really
>> bad?
>
> The stockholders. The problem with that is I doubt that enough of them
> would. The other problem would be who could replace him?

There seems to be this dumbass culture at MS now that everyone is  
scared of Balmer. The guys a dumb-ass, it's a surprise he doesn't tie  
his shoes together in the morning. OK he's not that stupid, but he  
has about as much idea about computers as I have about the laws of  
outer Mesopotamia. While it's often good to have a business head in  
charge, not a tech head, it usually helps if the guy has a clue WTH  
you are doing.

> Personaly,
> ALL of my experience with Microsoft hardware has been excellent.

One thing I agree on. MS Mice are the best in the business.

> Note that I have never owned or used an X-Box.

Even for it's few early problems, the 360 is a kick-ass piece of  
hardware. What's more it got to market a full year before the PS3.

> The stuff "just works", lasts a long time, is easy to use, etc.

No arguments.

> IMHO the
> person(s) responsible for the hardware should take over the company.

There is a theme that you may not have noticed you raise a few times  
over. Lack of competition. In hardware they have a whole market full  
of other vendors to compete with who all produce good product, in  
games consoles they have stiff competition from the likes of Sony and  
Nintendo. In OSs they have... very little. This breed complacency,  
which makes people sloppy and the product lack-luster, dates slip  
etc. Sound familiar?

-- 
Mark Benson

My Blog:
<http://mdblog.68kmac.org>
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