Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

You are here: MacNN Forums > Community > MacNN Lounge > MS Breakup Really that Bad for Mac Office?

MS Breakup Really that Bad for Mac Office?
Thread Tools
kwiersma
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jul 25, 2000, 05:45 PM
 
From MacNN's MWNY feature on MS:

"Breaking up the company would definitely damage Mac users," one rep said. "In terms of being able to
commit, to keep up with competitors, to have the resources and dedication we have now, [a breakup]
would be the worst possible thing."
I really don't think that the MS breakup by the Justice dept. is really going to hurt the Mac products as much as this quote suggests. As was said in the article, Mac MS Office is one of the most profitable products MS has. It pretty much has a monopoly of the Mac market and there is no reason that with the break up that could effect that product. The Mac team would be completely on the side of the applications branch of the break up. They would still have the same resources as before (minus the Windows API inside info, but why do they need that for the Mac version?). Heck right now they seem like there own unit inside of MS. (Which is what I was told by my friend who works at MS in another division.)

It seems to me that this quote just seems like the old MS propaganda trying to get us to be against the break up.

Just my $.02.
     
wlonh
Professional Poster
Join Date: Mar 1999
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jul 25, 2000, 06:04 PM
 
your $.02? no, it is your $.04... this post was also (previously) posted to the News and Advocacy forum.

please please please people, do not post a remark, question, whatever, to more than ONE place on the fora... pick your spot and make your post once!! that is once, as in ONE.

if it is not posted in an appropriate forum, either myself or some other moderator will put it where it belongs...

     
Evangellydonut
Mac Elite
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Pasadena
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jul 25, 2000, 07:11 PM
 
Currently, if M$ breaks up, it'll be seperated into OS and Software, and since the MBU is entirely software, it won't really be effected. Personally, I think M$ should be seperated into three parts, with the third part being development (all of those visual* crap and C#), and possibly a fourth being games...

*wonders how many $.02 I've offered...probably more than I've earned at my summer job!
G4/450, T-bird 1.05GHz, iBook 500, iBook 233...4 different machines, 4 different OSes...(9, 2k, X.1, YDL2.2 respectively) PiA to maintain...
     
Adam Silver
Mac Elite
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Chicago
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jul 25, 2000, 07:51 PM
 
If anything, the breakup would be good for Mac users. The applications division would have no reason to have certain programs (i.e. Access, Project, Visio, Outlook with POP/IMAP) available only for Windows because making these programs available for the Mac would allow businesses to switch from Windows to Mac.
     
lucy4
Guest
Status:
Reply With Quote
Aug 2, 2000, 08:31 AM
 
Below is a list of companies that Microsoft has invested in and or purchased outright in the last year. The date of acquisition and or investment is noted next to the company name. The list reflects only the last year, since we do not have enough storage space to include the full list of Microsoft investments and acquisitions.

* Driveoff.com 6/12/00 (acquired) * MEASAT Broadcast Network Systems 3/14/00 * USWeb/CKS 9/28/99 (became marchFirst) * RealNames 3/14/00 * Keen.com 1/11/00 * Akamai Technologies 9/27/99 * Avanade 3/13/00 * OnSite Access 6/6/00 * Softway Systems 9/17/99 (acquired) * Corio 1/11/00 * SRS Labs 3/10/00> * CommVault Systems 5/18/00 * Visio 9/15/99 (acquired) * Commtouch 12/29/99 * Radiant Systems 3/1/00 * Asia Global Crossing 9/8/99 * 2nd Century Communications 5/16/00 * DiscoverMusic.com 12/23/99 * Peach Networks 2/29/00 (acquired) * United Global Communications 9/7/99 * Seachange International 5/9/00 * MyPlant.com 2/24/00 * Loudeye Technologies 12/22/99 * E-Stamp 8/18/99 * VenturCom 5/8/00 * Broadband Office 2/23/00 * Encoding.com 12/21/99 * Globo Cabo 8/17/99 * FirstWorld Communications 2/16/00 * The Lightspan Partnership 8/16/99 * Plural 5/3/00 * Intervu 12/20/99 (acquired by Akamai) * Gilat Satellite Networks 2/16/00 * BET.com 8/12/99 * CAIS Internet 5/3/00 * Jato Communications 2/10/00 * Best Buy 12/16/99 * DSL.net 8/10/99 * e-Media 5/1/00 * Winstar Communications 12/15/99 * Itran Communications 2/09/00* STNC 7/21/99 (acquired) * iSyndicate 4/27/00 * Equinix 12/2/99 * CSI 2/9/00 * Rogers Communications 7/12/99 * ContentGuard 4/27/00 * Reciprocal 12/1/99 * Interland1/27/00 * Zoomit 7/7/99 (acquired) * Divine interVentures 4/24/00 * CompUSA 1/24/00 * GigaMedia 11/12/99 * Sendit 7/1/99 (acquired) * Titus Communications 4/10/00 * Intertainer 1/24/00 * RadioShack 11/11/99 * Digital Entertainment Network 6/30/99 (defunct) * Evoke 3/30/00 * Verticalnet 1/20/00 * Data Return 11/2/99 * Concentric Network 6/22/99 * CenterBeam 1/19/00 * Contentville.com 3/29/00 * Omnibrowse 6/14/99 (acquired) * Entropic 10/29/99 (acquired) * Yam Digital Technology 1/12/00 * Inprise 6/8/99 * NextVenue 3/20/00 * Vadem 10/28/99 * Digex 1/12/00 * ShadowFactor 6/7/99 (acquired) * HomeAdvisor Technologies 3/16/00 * Telmex 10/18/99 * Interliant 3/15/00 * Wink Communications 6/4/99 * iBeam Broadcasting 10/14/99

The Justice Department may be totally off base, by looking at Microsoft as potentially just two companies "an Operating System company and an Applications company." They are intertwined in every aspect of today's economy. Let us not forget the 'investment' MS made in Apple, and their technology 'sharing' agreements. What will the breakup mean to the Mac user? Or is the real question: 'What will happen to computing?" MS is hell bent on revenge, and some of the options they are considering are downright nasty. Imagine a divided internet-sites only a PC w/Windows can access. Or, software that logs on to the 'net and monitors the time you've spent using the program so that you can recieve a monthly statement for the time spent using that program. Even worse, -net bootable computers.

I mention this because I can see that Apple is following MS's business model to the letter. Recent example: MS cracks down on reselling of their OS by licencees and Apple soon follows suit. If MS gets broken up, and becomes more profitable-ala Baby Bells- we can expect to see Apple spin off a division or two.
     
andi*pandi
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: inside 128, north of 90
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 2, 2000, 10:32 AM
 
Microsoft owns bestbuy, compusa??

no wonder they did such a lousy job selling macs...

no wonder Radioshack doesn't carry things mac-ish...

what's your source for finding this, lucy?
     
wlonh
Professional Poster
Join Date: Mar 1999
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 2, 2000, 11:37 AM
 
i agree with Adam Silver

mostly because my dear old mum's name is Silver (she remarried, it is not my last name, to be absolutely clear)

     
blizaine
Mac Enthusiast
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: Inside your computer!!!!
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 2, 2000, 12:39 PM
 
The thought of a devided internet, Micro$oft/everyone else, is a very scary thought.

I can't see how excluding people from certain websites would be profitable. Unless they think everyone who doesn't have a wintel box will go out and buy one as a result. I don't know...

And the whole idea Billy boy has of using apps right off the internet instead of on your computer and charge you time usage charges, is retarded. All any other company would have to do is release a competive product and sell it the old way, on CD. The internet, it's self, has proved that per/hour usage charges won't work. Look how quickly every online company went from charging per/hour to unlimited usage.

===================
wlonh, your about to the 4000 post mark, congrats!

I bet your full name is Lon John Silver. sorry, bad joke... ;P
===================

later - blizaine

[This message has been edited by blizaine (edited 08-02-2000).]
     
Jodar
Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: usa
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 2, 2000, 02:13 PM
 
If a breakup is imminent, I doubt we'd see anything immediate. If any of you attended the Macworld NY Expo, you would probably come away impressed with MS Ofc 2001. The demo was very nice and I look forward to the final shipping version. The reduction of the tool bar is a welcome change.
     
kwiersma  (op)
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Aug 4, 2000, 06:01 PM
 
I have to admit one thing: lately the MS Mac products have been great. Office 2000 is a great set of apps. A little massive but hey it has a lot to do. IE 5 is pretty dang good especially if you consider the stuff it does better then the PC version. Outlook Express is great, tons better then the PC version. With Office 2001 appoaching for the Mac, and MS pledge to support Mac gaming, I cannot help but be impressed with MS's Mac offerings.

Granted the MS programs do have limitations but for having almost complete monopoly on the Mac market these program do a pretty darn good job. Now if there business practices got better. . .
     
   
Thread Tools
 
Forum Links
Forum Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Top
Privacy Policy
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 08:23 PM.
All contents of these forums © 1995-2017 MacNN. All rights reserved.
Branding + Design: www.gesamtbild.com
vBulletin v.3.8.8 © 2000-2017, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.,