MicroDIE!!! (Essay)

I'm going to do my best as a (currently) technological newbie in examining a very large issue which seems to be met with great froth even by the most advanced computer buffs and mechanical-programmer-hyper-person-GO!-GO!-wizards; that issue is, of course, everyone's favourite monopoly-wrangler: Microsoft!

I have an odd habit on the CICC of writing fairly short, mildly detailed essays drilling into insanely complex aspects of the world we live in - some of which are proverbial battlefields, involving millions of people with inconceivable amounts of academic background on the subjects arguing for hours over - as a student-kid arbitrator, schoolbag over my shoulders and ignorance/naivety streaming from my ears (why not the ears?). I also have a habit of writing confusing sentences.

But I find in life that there are always left and right wings on issues like this one, and I always far prefer to hear from the 'guy in the middle' when looking for details on it.

Microsoft is a software company; they make an awful lot of the stuff that you see on your computer screen, like Word, Excel and Internet Explorer. They also hold what may be the closest thing to a monopoly in the modern-day market as the Sun has over the Solar System.
As a result, they seem to have been deemed an evil software overlord, accused - by the aforementioned computer buffs - of exploiting their position by producing poor-quality software at needlessly high prices, which the gullible computer-illiterate public will snap up since it's from Microsoft.

I myself have been seeing considerably more of this over the past while, and it's interesting to see how it has developed - there are, you see, a number of 'rebel factions' such as Linux or Mozilla who are on a quest to abdicate the evil emperor and bring truth and justice to the computing world. If you're to be respected as a knowledgeable IT man, you'll fund these factions and hate Microsoft, since anyone who would do otherwise is naive and ignorant.

What interests me is that I've been doing a lot of research over many things over the last year (no, really), and I've discovered this kind of pattern for a whole lot of other things going on in the world today. I think I can also make a suggestion as to the cause behind it.

This idea of the 'evil, tyrannical' king-of-the-hill amidst the higher-quality minorities crops up all over the place. I made a post some time ago as regards George Bush and the severe ridicule he gets amidst a self-proclaimed 'minority of Americans' who feel the ' clueless tyrant' has been voted in by a deluded, brainless populace of Christian fundamentalists (that's the story I've read; last I checked, the fact that a person is a Christian fundamentalist doesn't necessarily impair their ability to vote for a competent candidate). It can be seen here that the same 'suffering, unheard minority' are shuffling along amongst the ignorant world around them. I could apply this pattern to several other major world affairs, including one which might strike a considerable uproar amidst both members of the Brins community, but you can see my point.

My take on the Microsoft situation is that Microsoft is, first and foremost, a company; the make the stuff that people buy so they can continue to exist. Whatever anyone says, that's the foundation. Microsoft could shatter like a pebble on a beach given the right circumstances; they aren't a super-power, they're a company that makes products which people buy.
Granted, the world mostly relies on these products; they produce the infamous Windows operating system, without which many computer users couldn't even be reading this, or indeed seeing anything on their computer screen. As a result, you can't honestly blame them for what they do (assuming they actually are producing poor-quality software of exorbitant prices, as they are accused of doing - I have no knowledge in that line). If they don't, they're running a serious risk of losing their monopoly and becoming 'just another company' along with the rebels. I'm not saying this is ethical, I'm just saying it doesn't make them evil. Bill Gates wants to make money.

On this note, I'm sceptical of the suggestion that they make 'poor quality' software; the term is rather harsh. For real computer experts, who know exactly what they're doing and for whom speed and efficiency is the only priority, Windows may be a pain. But I feel that Microsoft does a very good job of making user-friendly applications which do a good job of being understandable for beginners. If you ever trek to their website, you'll find a great deal of information for their customers. They offer service packs and upgrades as free downloads for your computer. It is said that Windows is a weakly built system which can be exploited by viruses and hackers very easily. But at least Microsoft is trying to make up for this; they're not forcing you to pay for these upgrades (which they could very well be doing), and they're not trying to hide these dangers.
Microsoft provides after-sales service; a characteristic which is very much necessary in the business world of today. They don't push their customers to the side after they've bought the stuff; they keep them posted. I think they deserve some merit for this.

I respect that other operating systems and ISPs may have more features and make better use of their resources then Microsoft's. But it's no reason to think that Windows or IE are useless.
To use Mozilla's Firefox ISP as an example for the argument; yes, it has more features (you can keep multiple pages tabbed on one window); yes, it is apparently safer and more well-protected against viruses; but at the end of the day, it's the same basic engine as IE; same refresh, back, forward and stop buttons. Mozilla itself claims that Firefox will not allow the downloading of 'ActiveX Controllers' without your permission. However, IE can be set to do the same thing. The service packs offered by Microsoft act as a reasonable pop-up blocker, and the company even offers a virus checker (again, for free) from their website.

I think the idea of Microsoft, the evil emperor, is a tad exaggerated, as is that of the rebel factions; if you hate Microsoft, don't buy from them. In case you haven't noticed, they didn't stop you.

As you can see, I've done it again. Every time I write something like this, I worry that people are going to judge me by what I've said. I don't think I'm great - if something I've said isn't true, it's not dogma talking, it's a genuine error on my part. Please inform me of any false assumptions or statements I've made here. Thanks!  ¶ 5:00 pm