Now I realize that I may fall into the minority on this topic, but I’m willing to stick my neck out anyway.
Microsoft products are mediocre and outrageously overpriced.
There I said it! Sorry this may turn into a bit of a rant…
Don’t get me wrong, just like unions, Microsoft had there place in society at one time. During the Personal Computer pioneer days, they were obviously the leader in technology. That same leadership provided a spring board to what we see today – Microsoft became the personal computer de facto standard by which all operating systems were measured.
That was then, this is now.
When money comes into play, abuse of power surfaces. And I feel Microsoft eventually fell prey to this by monopolizing the industry. That same monopoly eventually morphed into taking their own customers hostage which still exists today.
A bit extreme? Not really, just look at their history and what their products have evolved into. Moreover, look at what they offer today, the prices they charge, and the comparative alternatives available that very few even know exist. Now there are at least two aspects to Microsoft’s overpriced mediocrity empire – the actual operating system and the applications the end user see, i.e. Microsoft Office.
In all seriousness, I do feel we need to reevaluate our perception of Microsoft on a whole, and why as a society, we seem content on forking over for products that are over priced. The stability is questionable at best (mainly due to the Operating System), Microsoft OS is a prime target and very susceptible to Malware and Viruses, and the price tags are way out of line compared to other Operating Systems and applications – quite simply, there are better alternatives.
There’s no denying, I am a huge advocate and supporter of Open Source, a model that includes the concept of concurrent yet different agendas and differing approaches in production. Open Source software is simply a consortium or offshoot of the Open Source umbrella, consisting of a community of talented individuals dedicated to providing quality technology to anyone that wants it.
Contrast this to Microsoft which employs a centralized model of development designed solely for profit. Of course this is the clinical definition and open for interpretation.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I am a huge advocate and proponent of the free market. But I’m also a realist and pragmatist. I don’t enjoy paying through the nose for a product when I can simply type in “Open Office” into Google and download a full productivity suite that is comparable, if not superior to Microsoft Office… for FREE. Considering Open Source offers free downloads of better products, why not rethink this arbitrage Microsoft has on us? Why not use better alternatives to get things done in “the office?”
Open Source is responsible for delivering great Operating Systems including the tried and true, Linux, the Unix-based operating system that kicks Microsoft’s butt in so many areas including security. Open Office is an application and free alternative to Microsoft Office – one that is superior in so many ways. Other fantastic web applications including WordPress, Joomla, Drupal and many others are at your disposal. Simply download them and start using!
I would be amiss if I didn’t offer up to you the downside of Open Source operating systems such as Linux. One biggie is a byproduct of my Microsoft hostage theory. That is, because the majority of computers users have Microsoft Windows OS loaded on their PC by default, the development community is much stronger. Therefore, the applications that run on Windows, may not run on the Linux or other Open Source operating systems. This drawback can range from an annoyance to a show-stopper.
In summary, Microsoft has done a lot of truly great things to improve our overall computing experience we see today. But just as unions had there place in the 1930′s when companies took advantage of employees, Microsoft has overrun its welcome with their non-pragmatic approach and overly expensive back-end products. We would be better served to look at other options available today that offer similar features at significant cost savings. Can we become a Microsoft-free computing society? Only time will tell, but I’m betting we’ll make headway.
