can YOU live without Microsoft?

can YOU live without Microsoft?

  • Yes.

  • No.

Results are only viewable after voting.
Originally posted by RacerX


The massive profits for selling software just wasn't enough for Microsoft, they want continuous revenue coming in from everyone.
Click to expand...

Microsoft: global landlord of the computational slums.

Think about it. A system like you describe may drive away a few users, but it will just reenforce everyone else's dependence on MS products, by not only forcing the old office 97 users to upgrade (MS will problably blame "incompatabilities"), but by putting everyone on their knees before MS. Payment for services to MS puts them in the position to pull the floor out from under anyone at any time. Thats the type of power that can crush a business or influence political leaders. (Not to say that has not already been done.)

I hate to be the crazy conspiracy guy, but if MS gets it way, it will basically own the medium within which the world works, and it has the choice of who has it and who doesn't have it. All of a sudden MS can claim to have conscience, and can start dening certain groups access. Somewhat parallel to Iraq's choice to not export oil, in a veiled attempt to gain international political clout.

Anyone else care to speculate?
 
Thing is Microsoft is just a habit. And all you have to do to kick the habit is say no, today I am not using a Microsoft product (unless I'm force to because of work). You just have to say no. Of course since the last update of IE in Mac OS X it has been very easy for me to do that, IE won't stay up for more than a few minutes at a time anymore. :D
 

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Its as simple as this. IF microsoft wasn't as huge as they are today, then yes. However, beeing on how they are giants, life without MS would be a big hassel. 1st off I couldn't play counter-strike... and that in itself is a fucking sin. Secondly, ordering food at my local Taco Bell would take 5x as long, and when I'm drunk, I get impatient. Lastly, there wouldnt be anyone to preach to about how much MS is "evil", so that would take out a good 4 hours of my daily work routine...what the hell am I gonna do with all that extra time? work??? I think not.

Seriously though, MS does play a huge part in everyone's daily life, whether one knows it or not. Actually, its whether you like it or not. :eek:
 
Just an idea suddenly poped into my head: Why a Windows user can live without any Apple products while we still have to use Microsoft's?

;)

Because Apple has her own kingdom and citizens like us and we are not closed mind. We always welcome other foreigner. Right?
 
I think it's all about not believing the hype.
They tell you you need Office on every single computer.
Well.. I don't. I have Apple Works and it works just fine for me.

How many users do actually need Excel or PowerPoint?
And even RTF is enough for most people's writing needs.

I don't need IE. Nor do I need crappy messengers.
I stopped using my hotmail account soon after M$ bought the company.

There's loads of freebie messengers out there anyway.

Sure, I do use M$ crap at work. But for personal use... I still have to find one of their applications I CAN'T do without.

There's something else I still need to find out:
a useful, common, and original technology thay everyone uses now which was actually INVENTED or, at least, pioneered and divulgated by M$.

web? Netscape
email? Eudora
mp3's? Fraunhofer
streaming media? Real
IM? ICQ
DVD? Apple
USB? Apple
Firewire? Apple


Tell me if I'm missing something...
 
That should be:

web? Mosaic

Which NCSA gave up to Microsoft which became Internet Explorer (sad when things can be corrupted so easily :( ).
 
Unfortunately I can't. I could, but can't. Occasionally I get a spreadsheet that AW chokes on, then have to fire up Excel v.X just to read the damn thing. Then it turns out that I could care less about the inane crap in said spreadsheet. *Sigh* :rolleyes:.
Then there's the kicker… my wife would totally flip out if she couldn't use Word for her school papers any more. She seems to be totally unwilling to learn anything else. She knows Word. End of story.

Oh, well.
 
I am constantly battling with people who say that: "I know ____. I do ____ end of story." I think it is so sad that I live in America which was founded on the idea of freedom yet people are stuck in self imposed prisons. People ask me why I use a Mac and why I don't use Microsoft products and I tell them "Have you ever given a Mac a chance? Have you ever given anything other that Microsoft Word a chance? Once you have considered all the options and have a real argument then I will answer you."

Yet they just keep on singing their chain gang songs and hacking at the weeds on the side of the road even though they have the key in their pocket and the man with the dark sunglasses has stopped watching.
 
I could live happily without any m$ apps.

OW and Netscape can handle all the sites I've seen.
Mariner can open excel files (as can another spread sheet whose name escapes me just now).
Word docs can be viewed in AW or with Maclinkplus.
Nisus is my preferred app if I need to make a document.
Tex-Edit Plus is my preffered app for less complicated documents.
Mail in OS X is so far adequate for my email needs.
The rest of the applications I use are unrelated to any ms products.

I have heard that I need to do an online evaluation with my company and that it only works with a certain version of IE (how stupid is that!!!). I'll try to sneak through with OW spoofing as IE.
 
Crap! I voted wrong! subtract one from "No" and add one to "Yes" :) I could live without M$ ! I want to live w/out M$!
 
If MS wasnt around Crackers would simply write viruses for the next most popular Platform, one will always be replaced with another.
 
Since there are about twice as many Apache servers as MSII, by your logic Apache should've been plagued by more worms. But to date, hasn't the biggest problem with worms and Apache been a NIMDA or CODE RED infected MSII server filling up their logs?
 
I can almost live w/o Microsoft. The only MS products I use are Outlook Express in OS 9 (never use OS 9, though) and Entourage for Mac OS X. Soon as I learn of a nice OS X mail program for OS X that has every thing I need and looks good, I'll abandon MS.
 
Originally posted by FrgMstr
...Crackers would simply write viruses for the next most popular Platform...
Click to expand...

Okay... I think either FrgMstr is on something while posting or he has fallen down and hit his head and is in need of some serious help. :eek:
 
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