Virtual PC and the Value of Free
,----[ Quote ]
| Yesterday's release of Virtual PC 2007 continues a longstanding
| Microsoft trend: Give away free something valuable to gain market
| share against a dominant competitor.
|
| [...]
|
| Lower cost is a good tactic, but Microsoft has done much better with
| free--and really valuable technology. Probably the best-known example
| is Internet Explorer, which Microsoft integrated into Windows
| during the browser wars with Netscape. While Netscape had to
| separately sell its product, Microsoft could give away its
| competing software for free. Microsoft regarded its Web browser
| as adding value to Windows, so it gave away the technology as
| a way of enhancing the appeal of the operating system and
| subsequently sales. On the server, Microsoft took on Netscape
| software by giving away for free FrontPage (for creating Web
| sites) and Internet Information Server (for hosting Websites).
|
| Windows Media Player is another example. Microsoft invested
| $500 million developing Windows Media Player 9 Series, which
| the company gave away for free with Windows XP. Other
| companies, such as RealNetworks, charged for their digital
| media products. Microsoft's bundled the software, for free,
| as way of enhancing Windows' appeal. Like Netscape and other
| developers, Real had to give away--and open-source--its core
| digital media technology in response to Microsoft's free software.
`----
http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/operating_systems/virtual_pc_and_the_value_of_free.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535
http://tinyurl.com/3826f6
Microsoft could use this to fend off Linux, as well as companies like VMWare.
Also see:
Microsoft slashes Windows XP price to fend off Linux
,----[ Quote ]
| Microsoft has slashed prices on Windows XP and Office to join the
| Thai government's "people's PC" project, a move which could help
| curb the spread of the rival Linux operating system in the country.
`----
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,2136259,00.htm
Related:
Gates Deposition Audio and Video
,----[ Quote ]
| Here is our local copy of the depositions of Bill Gates in the
| Microsoft anti-trust suit. We did our best to convert the
| original Windows Media files into an Open format, ogg. Your
| webmaster is responsible for the video transcoding, the
| audio-only files are contributed by a Groklaw member that
| requested to stay anonymous.
`----
http://www.groklaw.net/staticpages/index.php?page=GatesDepo
|
|
