07.20.09
The Problems with Attempted Office Shift to the Web
Fog computing
Summary: News and analysis about Microsoft’s re-announcement that it has a service-oriented Office suite
THIS story can be presented as a series of self-explanatory reports.
• Microsoft Cannibalizes Itself in Fight for Revenue
Microsoft (MSFT) Office is a cash cow that provides $15+ billion in revenue to the company. Thus far it‘s been more immune to open source competition than, say, Microsoft server and mobile phone operating systems, which compete with Linux and Android (and LiMo and Symbian) respectively.
• Microsoft Sacrifices Office to Save Windows
Apple’s OS X doesn’t pose as serious of a threat to Windows as Linux does. Apple and Microsoft can happily exist as long as Apple is content to skim the cream off the top and let Microsoft have the rest. Heck, Microsoft NEEDS Apple to not appear like a monopoly. Steve Ballmer and Steve Jobs probably play golf together and laugh at how people think they’re competitors.
• The Hidden Cost of Microsoft’s ‘Free’ Online Office Suite
Likewise with Office 2010 online, you can get some of it for free, but you still have to pay a premium if you actually want to make it useful. Free online Office 2010 is like getting four free tires without the car, and having to pay full price for the car (including the cost of the tires).
• Cisco Considers Taking on Microsoft’s Office Suite
Cisco Senior Vice President Doug Dennerline said on Tuesday his company may develop a service that would allow business users to create documents they could draft and share through its WebEx meeting and collaboration service.
• Microsoft Office users attacked by cybercriminals
Microsoft Corp warned that cybercriminals have attacked users of its Office software for Windows PCs, exploiting a programming flaw that the software giant has yet to repair.
The world’s largest software maker issued the warning Tuesday as it released patches to address nine other security holes in its software.
According to that last report from Reuters, “Microsoft Office users [are] attacked by cybercriminals” because Microsoft fails to patch its software on time. Moreover, Microsoft still relies on third parties to offer patches. █
DiamondWakizashi said,
July 20, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Microsoft is becoming more desperate everyday, it’s fun to watch.
Andrew Macabe Reply:
July 20th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Perception for microsoft and its products (what’s left of them) is at an all time low and rapidly decreasing. Whatever ‘goodwill’ they pretend to do is regarded with very high suspicion and the gates foundation is a farce (a business masquerading as a philanthropy). Heck, microsoft is a better chameleon than its sold-out gecko.
DiamondWakizashi Reply:
July 20th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
History will remember Microsoft’s reign of terror as a technological dark age.
Yggdrasil 2084 Reply:
July 20th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
Just like history will remember Ron Paul as the greatest presidential candidate of all time! That is, if you ask his on-line supporters. The “real world” didn’t care that much about him and it showed at the ballot box. I can’t stress enough that the perception of Microsoft among Linux users and FOSS advocates does not match that of the general population or other computer users. No rain of terror, no dark age, no ‘axis of evil’ references.
Point being, on the web perspectives can very sharply from reality. This website represents a sub-culture within a sub-culture. If you read this news here everyday you’d think the sky was falling because only the negative stories that suit Roy’s appetite are presented. Any positive news is either ignored or spun to look as bad as possible. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say this website outfoxes Fox news, and that’s no small task.
DiamondWakizashi Reply:
July 20th, 2009 at 11:46 pm
This website tells people the truth, unlike the Microsoft tainted media, who shamelessly promote shoddy, expensive, insecure, DRM infected Microsoft trash.
“IDG, IDC, and Microsoft Money on Their Table”
http://boycottnovell.com/2008/09/06/idg-idc-microsoft-money/
“Microsoft Pays Ziff Davis to Promote Windows Vista”
http://boycottnovell.com/2009/04/10/aaron-goldberg-microsoft-payola/
“Bill Gates and His Press Rewrite History Amid Semi-retirement”
http://boycottnovell.com/2008/06/21/history-whitewash/
I don’t think history will be praising a Microsoft dark age tainted by malware, Windows zombies, viruses, DRM, back doors, vendor lock-in and countless incidents of law breaking and sleaze.