If I could eliminate Windows from the face of the earth, I
wouldn't do it.
You heard me right - me, diehard Mac fan from back in the 80s,
Windows-basher from waaay back - I wouldn't wipe Windows off the
face of the earth, even if I could.
That's because of the nature of competition. Competition makes us
stronger, not weaker. One cellphone service introduces free weekend
minutes; so the others do, too. If there were only one cellphone
company, everyone would be carrying three-pound behemoths and paying
more for each call than a pay-per-view movie.
Competition exists in a capitalistic society to drive down costs,
increase features, and increase efficiency. Without competition, a
monopoly forms, which tends to stifle innovation, increase costs, and
generally suppress anything that leads to change.
Microsoft understands this - unfortunately, they understand it
only to the degree that the Justice Department makes them understand
it. However, as a corporation, they still have a corporate philosophy
geared toward exploiting their monopoly on operating systems and
everything else they make including email software and office
suites.
Remember when you used to play Monopoly, the board game, and you'd
beat your younger sister or brother to the point where you owned
everything except one or two properties, and you'd make loans to your
sibling so you could keep playing, stringing them along on the false
hope that they actually had a prayer of coming back to win?
Stretching out the victory, so to speak? That's Microsoft's game.
They are a monopoly, and more importantly, they like being a
monopoly.
Therein lies the difference between a capitalist and a monopolist:
If Microsoft could eliminate the Mac OS (not to mention Linux) from
the universe without being challenged, they would. (What about the
profitable Mac Business Unit? A write-off.) But the Justice
Department is Mom, telling you to let the little kid win every now
and then to keep the peace. So you obey Mom, but secretly in your
heart you like holding the other kid hostage to your powerful
monopoly.
I wonder if Bill Gates played Monopoly as a kid. If I'm ever in
the same room with him, I'll ask.
Case in point is Microsoft Outlook. Microsoft Outlook Exchange has
been web-accessible for some time. Exchange is the corporate-level
server version of Microsoft Outlook. (This is not the same program
that has been infiltrating its way into Macintosh systems for some
time now. Exchange is made to be hosted from a company server and
provides public posting and calendaring functions as well.)
If you implement the latest security update for Exchange from
Microsoft, then users of Netscape (any version) can no longer access
their email, because the security requirements are only met
(naturally) by Internet Explorer. This is monopolistic behavior,
pure and simple. And it's kicking a competitor when you've already
beaten him, which is just bullying. It may also be a preemptive
strike against a Netscape revival by AOL. And, of course, the problem
is portrayed by IT as a deficiency in Netscape, not a
monopoly-building strategy by Redmond. We're talking about your
gol-darned security here, Hogarth.
Another way Microsoft secretly maintains its monopolistic pressure
is through the training it authorizes for Microsoft Certification. I
have heard from participants in the training that trainers spend
weeks repeatedly pointing out the things the Mac cannot do on
a Microsoft Windows network, and participants are clearly made to
feel that admitting to Mac ownership will result in ridicule or
worse. This is something that is not in the public eye as much as the
browser wars, but it is more insidious and damaging to the Mac
overall, because it puts people in a position of power over
individual users, who are essentially defenseless against such
arguments.
The solution is the Holy Grail of Mac Advocacy: market share. We
used to get a lot more respect when Mac market share hovered around
10-15% instead of the paltry 2.5% it does now. Apple would once again
hover in the top five computer manufacturers at such a market
share.
Will the new Mac retail effort by Apple be enough to return Apple
to the public eye? I hope so. Will Microsoft suffer any long-term
economic impact from the Justice Department's case against them?
Probably not, other than lawyerin' fees.
It's better for the world of computing if the Mac is successful.
Let's hope that Mr. Jobs' endeavors are successful and Mr. Gates
starts behaving as if he really believes that Microsoft should not be
a monopoly, instead of just pretending for Mom.
The future of the computing eXPerience depends on it.
Jeff Adkins is a science teacher who isn't afraid to state his preferences in computing platforms. In his classroom he has everything from a beige All-in-One to a a G4 XServe, and they all work together nicely. He calls himself the "poster child for technology integration" in the classroom. He was the 2006 Outstanding Educator of the Year for the California Computer Using Educators (CUE) organization. He also maintains a site for astronomy teachers at www.AstronomyTeacher.com.
Mac of the Day: PowerBook 170, Oct. 1991 - At 25 MHz, the PB 170 was at the top of the original PowerBook line.
List of the Day: The iPhone List Low End Mac's forum for discussing and supporting Apple's iPhone.
August 30 in LEM history: 99: The truth about USB speed - 00: Could Eazel kill the Mac? - Mac OS 8.1 on a IIci and LC III - 01: Beyond MHz and GHz - Getting a handle on email - Thanks for the IBM PC, Dad - Apple's anniversaries - 02: Mac OS X v10.2 - iBook video out - 04: Things that freak out my students - 06: Nvu and SeaMonkey can't replace Home Page - 07: DVD-RAM support
Recent Content on Low End Mac
Looking for a Content Management System That's as Easy as Mac, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 08.29.
Low End Mac needs to move to a content management system, but the few we've tried just don't cut it for people used to the simple elegance of the Mac.
Best Power Mac G4 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.29.
Used 450 MHz AGP, $75; 500, $99; 800 QS, $199; 1.25 GHz MDD, $375; 450 MHz dual, $179; 867 dual, $300; 1 GHz dual, $395; 1.42 dual, $575.
Best iBook G3 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.29.
Used 300 MHz clamshell, $150; 500 CD, $150; 800, $200; 600 CD-RW, $240; 900 Combo, $300; 14" 600, $360; 900, $400.
Best iPod nano Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.29.
Used 2 GB iPod nano, $89; refurb 3G 4 GB, $99; new, $140; refurb 8 GB, $149; new, $179.
10 Mac Browsers Compared, Simon Royal, Mac Spectrum, 08.28.
A look at Internet Explorer, Radon, Opera, Safari, Shiira, iCab, Firefox, Netscape Navigator, Flock, and Camino running in Leopard.
Clone and Boot: Another Advantage of the Mac OS, Kev Kitchens, Kitchens Sync, 08.28.
Unlike Windows, Apple makes it possible to clone a bootable drive (Classic Mac OS or OS X) and use it with another supported Mac.
Best MacBook Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.28.
Used 1.83 GHz, $799; 2.0 black, $875; refurb 2.1 GHz, $899; 2.4, $1,099; black, $1,299; new 2.1, $1,019 after rebate; 22, $1,094; 2.4, $1,219 a/r; black, $1,394 a/r.
Best iMac G5 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.28.
Used 17" 1.6 GHz Combo, $499; 1.8 SuperDrive, $530; 2.0, $600; 1.9 iSight, $625; 20" 1.8 GHz, $580; 2.0, $650; 2.1 iSight, $700.
Best classic Mac OS Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.28.
System 6, $10; 7.1, $12; 7.5.1, $4; Mac OS 7.6, $13; 8.0, $13; 8.1, $48; 8.5, $25; 8.6, $20; 9.0, $20; 9.2.2, $20; more.
CrossOver Strikes Out, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 08.27.
Running Windows apps on a Mac without paying for Windows is great in theory, but actually getting Windows software working is another story.
MacDrought: 4 Months with No New Macs, Dan Knight, Mac Musings, 08.27.
The most recent Mac update was over four months ago, and the Mac mini has been unchanged for over a year.
Best Intel iMac Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.27.
Used 17" 1.83 GHz, $625; 20", $599; 2.16, $749; 24", $950; refurb 20" 2.4, $999; 2.66, $1,299; 24" 2.4, $1,299; 2.8, $1,549; new 3.06, $2,094 after rebate; more.
Best 15" PowerBook G4 Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.27.
Used 1.25 GHz Combo, $600; SuperDrive, $650; 1.33 Combo, $640; 1.5, $680; SD, $725; 1.67, $730; hi-res, $800.
Best Time Capsule and AirPort Deals, Low End Mac Deals, 08.27.
500 GB Time Capsule, $294; 1 TB, $468; AirPort Extreme Card, $39; 802.11n Base Station, $166; 802.11g AirPort Express, $60; 802.11n, $98.
Our advertising is handled by BackBeat Media. For detailed
price quotes and advertising information, please
contactat BackBeat Media (646-546-5194). This number
is for advertising only.
