Microsoft Says the Darnedest Things

One of them is that they aren't a monopoly. Many people find this somewhat ridiculous. But recently they said something amazing to support this notion.

They held up Linux as proof that they aren't a monopoly; as proof that there is plenty of competition.

Ha ha. Linux. Let's just think about this for a minute.

• Linux is not a commercial product. It is free. So, to compete with Microsoft, your product has to be free.
• Linux does not employ anyone at all. So, to compete with Microsoft, you have to have all of your employees donate their time to you for free.
• Linux is primarily used as a desktop only by techies. It's use within the corporate world is limited to high-end server machines. That's not likely to change in the next year or two. So, to compete with Microsoft, you aren't allowed to actually compete with Windows.
• Nearly every person who buys a machine that is running Linux has had to buy a machine with Windows pre-installed. And it is nearly impossible to get a refund on this included expense. So, to compete with Microsoft, your customers have to actually buy Microsoft's product.

I'm so glad that Microsoft is not a monopoly. I'm glad they've set me straight.