Microsoft a sinking ship?

[wenwilder]

A question was raised with a fitting analogy about Microsoft operating systems. Today it seems very fitting considering the state the network is in - and the headaches 200 people are facing due to recently released patches. Slow programs, network errors, inaccessible drives.....and when I say slow I mean slow - the speed of computers from 1986. That's just a few fun issues today is offering.

Now the analogy:

Imagine a building where everything leaked. There is only on plummer to care for this building. For every leak he fixes three more start. You live in this building and spend your evenings dodging pots, pans and various other "leak catchers."

Now... honestly... would you continue living in this building?

The more Microsoft patches Windows the more "issues" it seems to have. The number of patches they release keeps increasing. When they do release patches they have to release more patches to fix their patches.

While I use to just complain about Windows and hypocritically continued to use it, I've started to change that factor.

I have used mac, rather liked it. I am working on learning Linux. From what I have seen so far... Linux is getting my vote.

But honestly, is Microsoft a sinking ship?


P.S. To be completely fair - security is going to be an issue for as long as the internet exists. It was an issue from the moment the first virus was created for a class project. I wish Microsoft luck in their battle.

[irodgers]

I'm not a Microsoft fan, so I DONT wish them luck. They had enough luck already to get where they are, sometimes at the expense of better companies.

[wenwilder]

I'm not a Microsoft fan either. My past posts repeatedly display that fact. But.... Microsoft is widely used. Love it or hate we still have to deal with it.

I do, however, wonder why. People know the problems Microsoft has, they know there are other options, and yet they continue to moan and groan about Microsoft.

If they are so acrimonious about it then they need to make a choice. Continue as is or... learn a new OS. It is that easy.

[Easywebdev]

I don't consider it a sinking ship but it is definately sailing through some choppy waters at present. I think the imminent launch of Vista will steady the ship for a time until its vulnerabilities get exposed and its back on the anti virus/ad aware vs virii and spyware roundabout again. If they don't release a fairly stable vista then I think they may well end up in a sinkable position (the fact that microsoft offers a commercial anti virus product instead of patching their OS has turned many against it) but the opposition really has to step up to the plate which they are not really doing.

Apple seem more preoccupied with peripherals (ipod and the revenue generated from itunes) than they are in trying to gain a larger share of the desktop computer market.

Linux is advancing all the time towards a solid desktop offering but for me the Linux community has shot itself in the foot. There are just too many distros now which is daunting to new users. A new linux user may download suse/redhat/centos/mandriva or any of the other rpm based distros and then try switching to slackware/debian/or a bsd and become totally confused with having to learn yet another package management software and a difference in location of startup scripts. Distro makers are adding more and more proprietry software to their distros daily which in effect means new users have to learn redhat linux / suse linux etc rather than just a unified linux. The initial linux roadmap was good but commercialism has doomed it I feel.

I'm a ten year slackware veteran and do all my development in linux but I still have to keep a copy of windows about for those times I need to use photoshop/paint shop pro. The extremely slow uptake of the major software houses in porting their products to linux is yet another nail in its coffin.

Someday all software will be available in linux and one distro will emerge as the dominant one and the others will fall by the wayside giving linux a real chance to break windows dominance but for me that day is a long ways off.

Linux has the market cornered in the server arena and the only reason I see Microsoft surviving at the desktop level is due to the lack of a better alternative.

[irodgers]

One big reason that I.T. companies fail while microsoft doesn't is this fragmentation issue. My main work is with a thing called PICK (what? you say - exactly). It was born in two pieces and went on fragmenting into smaller and smaller bits. Microsoft seems to be unique in avoiding fragmenting and keeping control over its core intellectual property.
Or is that a sweeping statement?

If its not wrong, the linux boys and girls need to literally get their act TOGETHER and stop fragmenting their market to the detriment of all.

[soniqhost.com]

I don't think Microsoft is a sinking ship, yes there are problems with the operating system but when they built XP the issue of security wasn't a major factor it was stability that everyone complained about in older versions of windows. I'm waiting to see Vista and how it improves security. Now if they can't get it right with Vista then we have problems.

[nottheusual1]

And before the Linux crowd weighs in, understand the context of that remark:

Most new home computers are bought at a big-box retailer (pick any name, including WalFart) or directly through Dell. All any of them offer is MS OS's. OK, with the minor exception of the big retailers that offer Mac's - but wait, isn't their latest pitch that they can run Windoze, too? Oh, and lest I forget the rare boxes loaded with Linspire Linux that WalFart used to sell.

And truth be told, few of the customers care. PC's are appliances. Until somebody else comes up with an OS with a user interface both as simple and as complex as WinDoze that will never change.

MS has tons of troubles down the road. OOO will really put a dent in MS Orifice sales at some point and there will eventually be a world of truly portable GUI's that you'll be able to haul around from vanilla linux box to vanilla linux box via your keychain, hence Windoze will have competition, and the customer can choose the GUI based on their needs, not what some pencil-muncher in MS-land thinks they need.

Even Intel is making 3D graphics stuff for Nix, now.

MS has always been, well, lame. And the market will weed out the lame ones eventually. It's easy to be the biggest when the market expands for 2 decades at logarithmic rates and you are the only game in town. Remember that dinosaurs once ruled the Earth, too. A spate of "bad weather" can fix many things.....

PC's will eventually be reduced to a component of a total entertainment system or to the likes of 20" color TV's. The OS will be Linux (or similar derivitive) and you'll choose your GUI, which will, in turn, "expose" those parts of the OS to you that you've decided you need.

Hey, "Dial-A-GUI" - remember you heard it here first.

[tshesse]

it won't matter, if MS closed up shop today and everyone had to buy a MAC there would be just as many (i would wager more) security patches coming from Apple as there is from MS right now.

[spenland]

Let me just say that I'm not a fan of Microsoft, but I think your all fooling yourselves if you think Microsoft is a "sinking ship". With the upcoming launch of their new OS and a plan in the future to market there own PC's (gulp, I believe their future is strong.

Someone would have to revolutionize the industry to de-thrown Microsoft.

[whipnet]

Networking problems? Not really.

Take it from someone who dealt with early token ring, lantastic, unix, even early Windows for Workgroups and NT 3.1... Networking is frigin' brainless now.

I oversee many MS networks large and small here in Houston, and network problems are very rare these days.

Not an MS lover, but facts are facts.

*

[DrTandem1]

What I learned after being in the US Coast Guard is that a ship may be battered in a ferocious storm, but doesn't always sink.

Nothing more eerie than coming across a deserted ship or large boat adrift with the life boats missing. She weathered the storm. The crew and lifeboats never to be found.

The lesson learned: Don't abandoned ship too soon, It may be better to step up into the life boats, than to climb down into them.

Microsoft is the giant ship. And like any great sailing vessel, it travels the stormy seas of business. You may need to patch things along the way. That is why you have DC (damage control) on board. When you get to port, you can take on supplies and make repairs permanent.

Leaving the world of analogy for a moment, Microsoft and companies like it, need to make their services useful. To do so, they need to be accessible. In making it accessible, there are pathways that social engineers will find to be disruptive.

Apple, Linux and Firefox are starting to see their systems targeted. Mac's OS X was dubbed "easy pickin's."

So, before you jump what you think is a sinking ship, make sure your tiny lifeboat will weather the same storm.

[mushroom]

Here you go wenwilder

http://cache.novell.com/cached/video...le10_geeko.mpg

[hs4u]

I have used windows since 3.1 and have not had trouble with viruses, not much with freezes (with exception of Windows ME), networking, slow systems. I run several programs at once and it works great. Windows XP has stabilized tremendously. I only reboot when I add a new program.

At school I have to use a Mac for graphics classes. I have had to reboot due to freezes, programs going slow if I open more than 3, mouse becoming unresponsive, printers not hooked up, browser windows not rendering as expected. Since it is school servers I can't tell you how networking is but know that the networking class's teacher complains endlessly about networking the MACs, he doesn't even try to teach it. The problems have occurred on the new last year upgraded MACs so it is not due to the old machines, they seemed to work better.

If I had a MAC I would probably use it as a personal computer for music, movie making. I use Windows for business related issues but the music I download and movies I make still rock, so guess my XP pc is the best choice for me.

Haven't used Linux, but the instructor for networking loves them. Someday, when I am not making money with my machine I will play around with that OS.

[Seminole386]

We don't make the decision, management does. About 20 years ago I was told to order 2,000 personal computers for my company. I owned an Apple, but I knew I couldn't lose my job if I bought IBM so that is what I did. That action will continue all over the world over and over again. Love em or hate em, MicroSoft will remain on top. If you work for a corporation and want to do work at home, you too will use windows.

[herb3_16]

The majority of computers today run some version of Microsoft Windows. Software is software, no matter how well the code is written. Microsoft has the most public vulnerabilites, because they are the most widely used. If Linux, Mac, or some other OS was the market leader, we would see the same result or worse. I am in partial to both Microsoft and Linux, but, Linux "overall" is in no way superior to Windows. Due to the Linux being open source it would lead to more of a security disaster than Windows if it became the Market Leader. Network issues are extremely common with Linux and Mac, but few and rare with Windows, so don't fool yourself. Like another post stated, facts are facts.

Microsoft a Sinking Ship - What a Joke! Get your facts straight!

Microsoft Windows is the market leader due to excellent marketing, and overtime a more stable, easy to use, and as secure as trial and error can be with any software. If Linux is so great, for the cost, why has it not taken the market. Dell has succeded due to marketing and product costs. Why not Linux?

[CalgaryPix]

First off, I'm a Mac fan. At one time I was a MS fan - not for the OS (Dos at that time - yes I go back) but for Word, before it became bloatware. On PC's WordPerfect was the app of choice, but the "revolutionary new Mac's" used Word. PC users wanted in on the action and Windows was born. To give Gates and crew their due credit - they did a perfect move of making sure Windows was put on most of the "cheap" computers. A few other OS's tried, but couldn't make the grade. IMO, Windows has never run as well as the Mac OS. However, most people bought the cheaper computers and became financially and EMOTIONALLY invested in Windows (Oh yeah, Mac's are great but they cost so much and I can get so much more crap for my Windows PC...) If they switch to Mac it would be admiting they were wrong the first time.

And that is why MicroSoft won't go under - people are still tied by emotion to that platform. From what I can tell, its much like someone who is abused will try harder to please the abuser (it must be my fault I get beaten) - and people will continue to buy MS Windows.

[ron angel]

off topic....
microsoft is less lightly to sink than the ship on my site has a chance of blowing up! whereas microsoft puts loads of money into its running,
the government trys to ignore my ship.....
For both "Its only a matter of time" to see what happens.
The richard montgomery matter

[Rhys]

Another point is that most of us are heavily invested in both money and training in programs that run in Windows, which won't run under Linux or on Macs. (I guess the new Macs run Windows, but why would I pay twice the money for a Mac running Windows as a PC running it?) Sometimes there is a version of the program that does, but more often there isn't. Moving to a new OS means starting all over buying and learning programs. And there aren't nearly the number of programs available for other OS's as there are for Windows.

The same is true of working on the computer. I have learned to repair a number of problems with PC's running Windows but would be lost with a Mac.

[kgun]

"Microsoft a sinking ship?"

Why that heading?

Should it be: "Are Microsoft's operating systems loosing ground?"

Remember that Microsoft is much more:

Operating systems.
Office solutions.
Network solutions.
Database solutions.
Web server solutions.
Web browser.
Media player.
Mail servers.
Communication platforms.
Search engine.
Application developement platforms.
Authentication system .NET concept. One centralized solution where other companies struggle with n more or less incompatible accounts.

Sometimes it is good to remove some dead meat. IMO XP is one of the best Microsoft products delivered today. Windows Vista seems promising.

Talking about an important life boat on a ship is far from the same as talking about the ship.

The real competition for Microsoft comes from Oracle, Sun and last but not least the complete open software community. That competition is good for us and Microsoft and is real, but not dangerous yet.


<Start of loop>
If a large enough sum of money is placed on some tables, other companies sell and Microsoft closes the doors / the party if you will.

If new, free solutions developes, then go to start of loop for some of them.
<End of loop>

The real, foreseable danger for Microsoft is that it will be split like AT&T. Then instead of a large Microsoft cruiser, we get a Microsoft armada.

P.S. Heard of the term multiboot?

[magic_majax]

I'm staying with my folks' and have used my father's computer running windows XP. I borrowed this pc for a time and had linux installed on it with a 56K modem. now it's running cable.

It's still slower to browse the net than linux on 56K

It was only online a short while and got infected with spyware and a virus, there were alien pop-ups and iframes appearing all over pages. Now he's running so many ad blockers and security apps this machine is running like a pig.

My father insists on using microsoft outlook and MSIE, is deaf to my advice he install mozilla, even under windows.

He's a developer as well, he can program assembly FFS, but for some reason he doesn't learn linux and sticks with M$.

He's working for a client using M$ and that's really a lot of the reason why people actually use their cr@p, because everyone else does, not for any merits it has over other OS'.

Windows has just spread rampantly over the office environment so that even skilled professionals are forced to use it for integration with their clients' offices.

He's really annoyed XP forces him to be connected to the internet because he doesn't want to be on his development machine, but says he has no choice because all the help files are online and because of the way xp works.

I had apps wanting to conect to the net through the firewall and was checking out the IP. They were all going to 1 Microsoft Way Redmond but that wasted more of my time checking what is doing what before I could modify the firewall rules.

Last time I checked you could modify your own whois info online so what is to stop a hacker from changing their details to 1 Microsoft Way Richmond? Who checks this stuff after initial registration at the ISPs?

I bet none of them do, or few at any rate.

I think M$ really blows.

[bj]

I for one don't wish to train noobs on a whole different op system. They're already scared to death of what they've got! And though MicroSnot's documentation is bad, the various Linux distro docs are worse. Though I think the possibility exists that MS will be knocked off the OS throne, I doubt it will happen any time within the next ten years, unless something radically different comes along, like a non-centralized OS. We're already moving a lot of functionality onto the web, so . . .

[danno]

Windows Vista and Internet Explorer 7 on an Intel Mac will be invulnerable
thanks to virtualization.

Why do you think we are seeing all the AeroGlass?
Because the Luna theme would look pretty old pretty quick on a Mac.

Millions, upon millions, upon millions of baby boomers
retiring and cashing in their retirement funds and 401K's
will want Intel Macs with Vista on them.
Powerful, secure and easy in an attractive package.

The marching orders from Redmond? Make it look pretty
on an Intel Mac.

Microsoft not only knows the market, it owns it.

Dan