Information Week – May 11, 2007:
Apple has one. So does the Java community, Oracle, IBM, and Google. Lord knows anyone who uses Linux or free and open source software is dedicated to spreading the gospel of St. Linus Torvalds and St. Richard Stallman. But does anyone really worship the Gods of Redmond?
I was chatting with some Sun Micro PR people who commented that Microsoft’s problem these days is that it doesn’t have a passionate user/developer base.
The theory is that while Microsoft certainly owns the majority of user systems, no one seems to really be evangelical about its software.
Think about it. When was the last time an editor was fired because of a scathing article entitled, “10 Things We Hate About Microsoft?” When was the last time a group of developers stood up at a VS Live show and shouted … “Yea, man! Orcas Rocks! Language Integrated Query is da’ Bomb! New and improved ADO.Net? Oh, no you didn’t!” It just doesn’t happen.
Rob Enderle, principal analyst and founder of the Enderle Group, suggests Microsoft did have a religion and a passionate audience up until 1995, but Microsoft never really nurtured them and they died off.
“Now Windows is just part of the PC,” Enderle said. “There are still those that admire the company and Gates, but the passion that exists around FreeBSD, Linux, and Apple simply has no analog in Windows. Great products come from passion — when Windows lost that, it lost its heart.“
Anyone I’ve ever met who said that they “like Windows” has usually come across to me as a mindless drone. It’s not because I’m obviously a Mac fanatic, but because they could simply provide no reason why they actually like it.
I think it is easy to see why Microsoft users are not in a cult: they are the people who didn’t think about what OS they use. Once you start THINKING, you realize that there is so much better than MS.
The author of this article wanted to make a point about Microsoft, but I don’t think it worked.
The “cult of Microsoft” does exist and in my experience the fans of .NET are equally loud as the fans of Java. It is true that the MS fanboys are different and a bit more sophisticated than the Linux/Opensource/Java/IBM/Google hippie activists, but that doesn’t make them any less worthy…
I don’t want to sound biased and I personally don’t agree with any types of cult or worshiping…
#1 & #2
You are referring to Microsoft users. I don’t think that was the gist of the article above. If anything Mac users are even dumber cause they don’t (or didn’t) know anything about the computer that is hidden behind the layers upon layers of makeup.
2, you left this out there, ripe for the picking:
people who didn’t think about what OS they use
And why should they? The OS doesn’t do my work, it simply enables me to run applications that let me get my work done. If you obsess about your OS then you are completely missing the point of using a computer.
Oh, and once you have a monopoly, there’s no reason to nurture a cult. At that point a cult serves no purpose and it can not add to your business in any meaningful way.
I was a big Microsoft booster until a few years ago. In fact, I made my living for several years as a result of my ability to develop Windows applications quickly in Visual Basic.
When Microsoft began to search my Windows XP computer I began to question my allegiance. I’m tired of supporting companies that don’t even trust their own customers.
Windows Vista, which offers no substantial improvements as far as I’m concerned, but which obsoletes much of my music software and hardware was the last straw. I was going to buy a notebook computer for music but I am simply unable to buy one equipped with Vista.
I don’t understand why Microsoft didn’t improve Windows XP incrementally and offer an annual update for a small fee — like $50, or even $100. Instead, they want to compel us to buy a brand new OS that offers a new interface along with a host of new bugs and vulnerabilites. Screw that!
There is a Cult of Microsoft and it has many millions of members. Here is one part of their liturgy:
The Holy Question: “What version of Windows are you using?”
The Holy Answer: “Um, Windows? What’s that? I guess I don’t know.”
I’ll say it: Windows is a good OS.
I use Mac, Linux and XP all the time — and, to be totally honest, XP is a very close second to the Mac — and leagues better than Linux in user friendliness.
OK, that doesn’t make me a cult member.
The reason there is no fanaticism for Windows is that in most cases users aren’t making a conscious choice to use Windows. It’s just there by default and people use it because it’s there. Linux or Macintosh on the other hand can often be classed as lifestyle choices. I’m a Mac user(though not the evangelist type) and often get questioned about the ins and outs of the Apple experience. How often do Windows users have to justify their choice of platform? If you are a Windows user you are the rule and not the exception, so really, what kind of fanaticism is that going to illicit? Rooting for Windows is like rooting for the house in blackjack.
#6 Dell is re-offering notebooks with XP on it.
As a side note, just last week I went back from Vista to XP. Couldn’t play a three year old game.
I also had to re-build my Mac notebook too!
#4 – I hate to tell you, out of everyone I know who has PCs and Macs, the Mac people are usually more knowledgeable about the chipsets etc in their Mac.
But if you have data to back up your claim, I’d love to read it.
There by over 380 fans located in a single spot at http://www.DevTeach.com downtown Montreal this week.
Dot Net Rocks SQL Server
In the developer community Microsoft is loved and cherished.
Being big can have that effect. When sports teams win too much we tend to start hating them. If you ask many consumers they only know about Windows. They probably never even heard about Linux or Apple.
I think Apple has opened the eye’s of consumer’s to options because of iTunes and the iPod. Microsoft may go down like the domestic car makers. They failed to listen to what consumers want.
I’d have to be so much better paid than I am now to go back to Java or Objective C, from where I am as a .Net developer. I don’t even care if Windows is the best or the worst operating system from the user’s viewpoint. I do actually care to only target it as a developer.
Microsoft did take care of a strategic part of its user community, its developer community. Though he looked like a clown jumping over stage shouting “developer, developer, developer”, Steve Balmer did put his money where his mouth was and without doubt, Microsoft has created the best developer experience all-round.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMU0tzLwhbE
lol
Check out the comments on that vid. LOL
There are a few over at the ZDNET boards that sing the praises of Windows at every opportunity.
Like everyone else said – Microsoft is the giant in the room – the evil empire – a monopoly – everyone likes to root for the underdog, but no one cheers for Goliath – you just don’t need to.
I am buying an Apple.
I would think that it would be difficult to develop a loyal following when your business stratagy seems to be: Use Microsoft or we will sue you.
I’ve never used a mac and have been a PC guy for a long time…but as my 5 year old dell continues to show its age I keep visiting macrumors.com to get a feel for when the new models come out. Talking to my PC friends seems like I’m not the only one who is fed up with Microsoft and planning to make the jump when the mac line is finally refreshed.
I see 2 main reasons for a switchover from longtime PC users. 1) we’re fedup with Microsoft and the work required to keep our PCs running smoothly and safely and 2) now that we’re old and have families we realized that the only things we use our PCs for is done much better by macs…email, internet, photos, and video.
From my corner of the universe it seems like a shift is starting…will be slow at first, but I think it could gain momentum as Apple keeps releasing new and innovative products while Microsoft keeps trying to force Vista upon us.
My fanboieism has wained in recent years… Well for starters, I am taking possession of my summer cottage next week. Hardwood is already in. Carpeting, appliances, and finish hardware is all going in this week.
I wanted to speed things up so I could have fun there this summer. So I splurged an purchased sod. for the yard.
It is hard to want to spend my weekends learning about the chipsets and whatnot of the latest computers and other nerdy things, when I can drive a mere 40 minutes and live in my own lakeside resort.
Meh, to each his own I guess.
Wife has a new Apple laptop. I’ve been trying to teach her how to use it (I was a Mac admin back in the early 90s, but the places I worked switched to Microsoft when Apple charged too much for development software).
Anyway, the Mac learning curve seems just as steep as the Windows curve for beginner.
If you like Mac and can make do with the limited number of Mac applications, cool–but there are very few games out there for Macs, and Windows people will have a hard time dealing with the single menu interface.
Windows doesn’t really have a big advantage over Macs other than the PCs, and the very large number of Windows apps out there, many of which are free (just like Linux).
Vista negates much of Windows advantages, as many older apps won’t run. Vista badly needs a compatibility mode that runs regular Win applications.
Why is everyone acting as if Microsoft is the biggest monopoly out there. Last time I checked Apple and Google were not much behind. And then you have companies like IBM or HP which are at last 2 or 3 times bigger than MS.
Every company acts like a saint and they use the ol’ M$ excuse to show themselves in better light. The truth is, they’re all just companies, just legal entities and there’s no point in attributing human characteristics to them.
All fanboism is ridiculous and immature.
Vista negates much of Windows advantages, as many older apps won’t run. Vista badly needs a compatibility mode that runs regular Win applications.
Why is everyone mentioning this. If you wanna use ancient apps, use an ancient OS. The reason you buy a new OS is to use modern apps and technologies. Either you buy a new version of the software that runs with you new OS or complain to the software producer if he still didn’t do the required upgrade.
Older versions of Windows were very good at backward compatibility.
Steve Jobs is running Apple better. Just look at his comments to Greenpeace:
“I think your organisation particularly depends too much on principle and not enough on fact,” Jobs said to the Greenpeace representatives. “You guys rate people based on what people say their plans are in the distant future, not what they are doing today. I think you put way too much weight on these glorified principles and way too little weight on science and engineering.
“It would be very helpful if your organisation hired a few more engineers and actually entered into dialogue with companies to find out what they are really doing and not just listen to all the flowery language when in reality most of them aren’t doing anything. That’s my opinion.”
#22
Who cares for the other games as long as you can play World of Warcrack.
#26
And that another thing they are copying from Apple.
“Vista negates much of Windows advantages, as many older apps won’t run. Vista badly needs a compatibility mode that runs regular Win applications.”
BS. Vista has compatability mode, just right click on the program icon, choose properties, Compatability tab, and choose the Os compatability you like back to Win 95. Ihave yet to find an old app that wont run under Vista, and only one that needed compat mode.
#29,
Actually, he has a very small point. I have a single 12 year old application that NEEDS a shared network folder mounted as a drive letter to operate correctly. Vista appears to have changed how it mounts SMB shares as drive letters in this respect.
But other than that single case, I am with you, I run lots of old software, and other than that single instance, Vista has performed flawlessly on older software. for example, there is a VB calculator type application I wrote during windows 3.11 days, and have not recompiled since, that still works great. I would be more than willing to change a few things in it and recompile it to a more modern version, but I lost the source years ago.
The big untold story on Vista has been that virtually everything thing the slashdot and digg blogger crowd has said about Vista has been almost entirely wrong. The only instance they got anything right was fps on games. Yes on a few games you might get 87 fps instead of 90 fps… but considering that changes nothing on how a person experiences a game… I am gonna have to give them a loud *BZZZZT* on that one as well.