07-06-2005, 04:27 PM

Before I start on this - I'm sure most of the Joe's / Jane's working at MSFT are average folks just getting thru life -- but at the core of the company its pure slime - I've worked with these fine folks .... They've sold their souls to Bill ( $$$$ - bonuses - options ...) and will do what ever is needed to keep the cash cow happy

A year ago MSFT had one major bee in their bonnet and that was Linux which they see as a growing threat to their total dominance of the PC / server market place. And Linux is really a pretty small fish as far as organization and penetration. Now MSFT has 2 bees since Apple is going to Intel HW --- and Jobs has more or less thrown the gauntlet of the next OS X (Leopard) showing up during the Longhorn launch. Apple - while small - is now a bigger threat than Linux in some ways. Apple has image - and image is (almost) everything.

What if they took one very good (loyal) SW architect and said --- from now on you work alone at home - relax you're going to well compensated - your job is to begin finding out how to exploit OS X and Apple Apps for security / viruses ...... sure hope none of those find their way on to the net ........

No email trails etc. ----- what we used to call a "skunk works" project ....


hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm :spook:

07-06-2005, 04:39 PM

I really don't think Microsoft is that bad...

07-06-2005, 04:43 PM

Its an interesting thought, and I would not be surprised if such a project does exist. However, I am always for competition. Having participated in both sales and marketing, in competitive industries, I have learned that competition forces companies to work much harder for the consumer. Best Buy doesn't want to kill Circuit City, Apple doesn't want to kill Microsoft and vice versa.

I once heard a comment that Intel may not like M$ because they have not spurred enough advances to require faster chips, which therefore hurt Intel's sales because new chips sell better. Growing competition between Microsoft and Apple as well as Lynux, will help all parties involved.

I agree with you though. Apple doesn't need to go after M$ for security holes, those get found on their own. But I bet OS X and Linux is being scrutinized very closely for holes.

07-06-2005, 04:58 PM

Rofl...

07-06-2005, 05:08 PM

Originally Posted by mynameis

I really don't think Microsoft is that bad...

I don't know... I heard that all the employees must refer to Bill Gates as "King William, Lord of America".... and if they look at him directly their punishment is that they will have their eyes burned out... and also they are added to list so that if they ever touch a Windows PC it will electroshock them with over 60,000 volts. And if you ever speak to him without being spoken to.... They kill you and your family.

:p

Edit: WTH was I thinking when I posted this... I gotta stop mixing my medications.

07-06-2005, 08:58 PM

Originally Posted by mynameis

I really don't think Microsoft is that bad...

I was reading our local biz paper after I posted this thread and saw that the guy who invented the concept of pen / tablet computing back in the early '90s (Go Computing) is now suing MSFT after obtaining MSFT emails from some other lawsuit against MSFT. Quoted was an explicit email from Gates to Andy Grove (then CEO of Intel) warning Andy/Intel not to invest in Go Computing as that would be seen as an "anti-Microsoft" action which could inhibit future Intel / Microsoft business. In the months following that email - Intel backed away from any work with Go Computing. Go Computing later imploded ......

So here you have the guy who "sets the tone / culture" for MSFT threatening / brow-beating a major business partner. This says it all .

This guy is suing MSFT for anti-competitive business practices.

I tell you --- these guys are freaking animals. Intel sometimes throws it weight around because they have to - MSFT does it because they like it.

07-06-2005, 09:08 PM

Originally Posted by Ex_PC_Puke

Before I start on this - I'm sure most of the Joe's / Jane's working at MSFT are average folks just getting thru life -- but at the core of the company its pure slime - I've worked with these fine folks .... They've sold their souls to Bill ( $$$$ - bonuses - options ...) and will do what ever is needed to keep the cash cow happy

A year ago MSFT had one major bee in their bonnet and that was Linux which they see as a growing threat to their total dominance of the PC / server market place. And Linux is really a pretty small fish as far as organization and penetration. Now MSFT has 2 bees since Apple is going to Intel HW --- and Jobs has more or less thrown the gauntlet of the next OS X (Leopard) showing up during the Longhorn launch. Apple - while small - is now a bigger threat than Linux in some ways. Apple has image - and image is (almost) everything.

What if they took one very good (loyal) SW architect and said --- from now on you work alone at home - relax you're going to well compensated - your job is to begin finding out how to exploit OS X and Apple Apps for security / viruses ...... sure hope none of those find their way on to the net ........

No email trails etc. ----- what we used to call a "skunk works" project ....


hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm :spook:

Oh jeese.

Apple & OSX are not a threat to Microsoft, nor are they to Linux.

Apple isn't even remotely interested in challenging the big softy - it's just a matter of market share and priority.

Like an ant taking down a jumbo jet, the most obvious question would be "How?"... Then it should be of course "Why?"

The biggest threat to Microsoft right now is Google... I doubt Apple has even crossed Microsoft's mind.

I'm heavily invested in both MSFT and AAPL, and I'd have hard time finding a FA/broker who'd tell me it was a conflict of interest.

I've worked with these fine folks .... They've sold their souls to Bill ( $$$$ - bonuses - options ...) and will do what ever is needed to keep the cash cow happy

Please use specifics. It just doesn't work to talk in such broad generalizations. Name names. Give exact numbers. Let the facts speak for themselves...Here’s a few:

I lived in San Jose for a good portion of my life, and am VERY close friends with several people over in the Mountain View crew. No one has "sold their soul" to Bill. On the contrary, there are quite a few employees who frequently express issues they are having within Microsoft, and not only does Microsoft not do anything to prevent it, they encourage it. (http://news.com.com/2061-10788_3-5735457.html)

In fact, if you actually took the time to do some research before making these wildly biased and inaccurate statements, you'd undoubtedly stumble across quite a few Microsoft employee blogs that give you a much better idea of what Microsoft is really like.

These are exactly the kind of posts that can scare away those who are looking into getting a Mac. Quite a few months ago us Apple employees received an e-mail from an anonymous apple.com address that was later rumored to be someone way up in management (Jobs maybe?). The e-mail contained a link (http://www.overclockers.com/tips1133/) and followed it up with "Did anyone ever NOT get it?" If you click the link, you will get a very interesting perspective on what a number of enthusiast’s real issue with Apple is. Apple's frustration stems from the fact that it's marred image has very little to do with it's products, and quite a bit to do with those mindless angry zealots amongst the Apple community. Which brings me to another famous blog by Chris Pirillo, where he vehemently poked fun at the fact that Apple was openly attacking, not members of the opposing community, but members of its own.

You aren't doing Apple any favors by spreading bogus anti-Microsoft propaganda. It's just that simple.

07-06-2005, 09:14 PM

I tell you --- these guys are freaking animals. Intel sometimes throws it weight around because they have to - MSFT does it because they like it.

LOL. Intel sometimes throws its weight around? You really need to read more about AMD's lawsuit against Intel. You are clearly in the dark.

07-06-2005, 09:41 PM

Originally Posted by falltime

The biggest threat to Microsoft right now is Google... I doubt Apple has even crossed Microsoft's mind.

No doubt about it.... Google has got had it's targets set on Microsoft..... And they are one of the few companies that could actually do some damage. Bill Gates probably has some worries with Apple now that it has merged with Intel.... But nothing compared to the search engine/web interface battle we are about to watch around the time IE7 comes out. Not to mention that Google is hiring many of their top developers right out from under microsoft. Google is out for blood.

07-06-2005, 10:50 PM

""Please use specifics. It just doesn't work to talk in such broad generalizations. Name names. Give exact numbers. Let the facts speak for themselves.."""


You want me to list names and numbers - no way - I want to live a long life and not be looking over my shoulder :spook:


You've known / worked with folks who were 1 or 2 levels down from Gates ??? :biohazard

I didn't think so .................... at the top everything changes - like I said - most MSFT folks are just normal people :p

07-06-2005, 11:56 PM

i coudl neever see google making OS but they have the $$ to risk it os we never know

07-07-2005, 12:15 AM

Originally Posted by zap2

i coudl neever see google making OS but they have the $$ to risk it os we never know

while trying to capture home and small business market is lucrative, it is not nearly as profitable as large business/server market where revenues are more consistent.

Google looks to sell a less tangible product than an OS wrapped in a pretty package, but rather sell their technology to implement in servers/business infrastructures.

07-07-2005, 12:42 AM

I have to give a little more credit to Apple here. I disagree with the statement that Apple taking down Microsoft is like an "Ant taking down a jumbo jet." I think a much more proper analogy would be David and Goliath. Apple may not be much of a threat now, but they could be in the near future. Apple may not have much current market share, but they have a huge amount of marketing/media muscle that if thrown to bear directly at Microsoft, could be very threatening.

Apple has the superior operating system, their hardware is some of the best in the world, and they have a very strong image. Imagine for a second if BMW were to come out with a low cost model to rival Ford or GM. Yeah, quality would be less than a true BMW, but thousands of people would flock to the dealer to check it out, and thousands would buy. BMW could follow that original model with a huge marketing campaign, and then continue with new low cost products. They would bring that high class BMW image to the common consumer. Also, Apple releases one of the most revolutionary music devises ever made, the iPod. This creates a large Apple following, and extends Apple's image to the consumer public, leaving them looking for even more from that fine company. A small amount switch to the Macintosh computer due to this rebound effect. That small amount is growing. I live in a small town, and my local Best Buy is selling an average of 5 minis a week. Thats a lot for such an "out there" product. Apple recently released that product to rival the monster Microsoft (ie. the BMW to rival the GM or Ford), what will come next?

My main ideas on this:
1. Apple has been planning on targeting M$ for a long time
2. The iPod creates a growing Apple following
3. They release the mini, which can rival the cost of the average PC
4. They plan to release a new OS at the same time as M$
5. They switch to Intel processors, ending the Ghz/Mhz myth, and bring their technology better in line with PCs
6. Apple expends a huge amount of money on image (ie. in lots of movies, lots of ads, and they have a huge amount of media hype
7. Jobs and Gates have had a pretty evil history (Check out the movie, Pirates of Silicon Valley, the book Revolution in the Valley, or any other Mac history source)
8. The keynote speach at WWDC 2005 had about a million slants/attacks at M$

I predict that Apple is planning on directly going after Microsoft in a prolonged plan and that this plan is already in motion. It may seem crazy, but it's not impossible.

Don't attack PC_Puke about putting this kind of post on the site. It may not be as much of "propoganda" as you think.

MY THEORY RESTATED HERE: http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/sho...758#post129758 PLEASE PUT INPUT ON IT AT THAT LINK

EDIT: Thanks for the suggestion Addikt! Sorry I snapped! :biohazard

07-07-2005, 12:47 AM

[QUOTE=sarahsboy18 . Bill Gates probably has some worries with Apple now that it has merged with Intel.... .[/QUOTE]
They didn't merge yet right?

07-07-2005, 12:49 AM

Originally Posted by macEfan

They didn't merge yet right?

LOL... no... typo... But possibly accidental prediction? ... Nah.


I agree to a point with you rs2.... I think an Ant to 800lb gorilla (as opposed to a airliner) may be a better comparison.... But right now there are alot of Ants. Microsoft has alot of enemies right now and the problem is that although it is dominating many of their markets... it's products aren't out-performing in ANY of them. A company who's slogan is "Where do you want to go today?" won't survive when the answer from almost 60% of the market it "google.com." And Firefox, Linux, and Apple are all gaining ground faster than in the past.