Re: [libreoffice-users] Re: Ellison's Oracle washes hands of OpenOffice

HI, I'm new here. Pardon me while I tell everyone why you are all wrong,
probably insult you all, and proceed to stick my foot in my mouth up to my
hip (all the while being right). You can get the details off my
site<http://madhatter.ca>
.

First, you have to understand that Microsoft is under severe financial
pressure. If I've added the numbers up correctly they have about 3.5 years
until they go into Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection. Before you start
screaming that I am crazy, this is based on their SEC reports. Goto my site,
search for the term Microsoft Death Watch.

Second, all of the proprietary companies are under a lot of pressure at
present. I'm working on an article to explain the exact reasoning, but the
worst thing that could happen right now would be for Open Office and Libre
Office to combine. I am deadly serious about this. I have coined a term for
the process, and this explains why the big companies are pushing so heavily
for software patents.

Third, while Open Office/Libre Office has already destroyed a large part of
Microsoft's profitability, there's another factor at play. After Steve Jobs
returned to Apple, the company made a series of moves (which are still
continuing) each of which hurt Microsoft. There's an old saying. Once is
accident. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action. Let's look at
the list:

   1. Resurrected Mac OS as Mac OS X instead of adopting Windows
   2. Kept Quicktime alive instead of adopting Windows Media
   3. Developed IPod (which hurt Windows Media)
   4. Developed ITunes (which hurt Windows Media)
   5. Developed X86/X86-64 Mac (Which hurt Windows)
   6. Developed IWork and sold it for $200.00 less per copy (which hurt
   Office Sales)
   7. Developed IPhone (which hurt Windows Mobile)
   8. Developed IPod Touch (which further hurt Windows Mobile)
   9. Developed IPad (which hurt Windows for Tablets - well killed it
   really)

I'm in a rush, so I probably missed a few. If three times is enemy action,
what does *NINE* times count as - a paper cut?

The only really profitable division that Microsoft has is their Business
division (it brings in nearly half of the total company profits). With
pressure from Apple, Open Office, Libre Office, Google, Word Perfect, etc.,
Microsoft is having to accept lower margins on sales, which cuts into
profits.

At the same time they are loosing Windows license sales to Apple (Mac,
IPad), and in the future will be loosing them to Acer (Android), HP (Web
OS), Dell (Ubuntu). Each lost OS sale means a smaller market for Office
sales. If my reading of the numbers are right, the Year end 10Q filing will
show some revenue drops in several places, which would be the first time
ever that Microsoft has had revenue drops when there wasn't a massive
recession hitting their competitors. Apple when reporting for the same time
period will not show a drop.

So you are facing an increasingly more desperate opponent. Microsoft will
attempt anything to survive. Consider the new laws that they are trying to
get passed in Washington State as an example, which will probably result in
an exodus of large firms from that state. I wonder what the politicians will
think then?

The next five-ten years are going to match the 'May you live in interesting
times' curse.

Wayne



On Sat, Apr 16, 2011 at 3:45 PM, Tom Davies <tomdavies04@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

> ________________________________
> From: plino <pedlino@gmail.com>
> To: users@libreoffice.org
> Sent: Sat, 16 April, 2011 10:07:11
> Subject: [libreoffice-users] Re: Ellison's Oracle washes hands of
> OpenOffice
>
> Good morning Tom ;)
>
> Although I agree with most of your arguments, Microsoft's position on
> Office
> has changed a lot lately.
>
> First it is almost impossible to buy a new Win7 machine which doesn't have
> some version of Office bundled. It varies from a Trial version to a Starter
> version and sometimes even the whole Office is included.
>
> On a second (and probably more important) front, Microsoft silently retired
> the Office Genuine Advantage check which prevented illegal copies to be
> updated
>
> http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/microsoft-quietly-shuts-down-office-genuine-advantage-program/2798
>
>
> I think that Microsoft is taking measures to prevent it's users to shift to
> an Open Source Office suite ;)
>
>
> Hi :)
> Possibly but MS has not even really started to fight yet.  Shop-bought
> machines
> often have tons of bloat installed, trialware and expensive stuff you don't
> really have an option about having or not having but just have to pay for
> anyway.  Shops profit from that and wouldn't be able to profit so much from
> free
> software.  So, yes, the odds are stacked against us.
>
> 1.  At least as trials-end people are given an option to buy MS or not even
> if
> they have been hooked on MS by then.
>
> 2.  If people freshly install or reinstall Windows from Cd/Dvd (which
> almost
> never happens) that is where MS Office is not included.
>
> 3.   an installed MS Office can be uninstalled without breaking the OS
> 4.  LibreOffice can be installed alongside MS Office
> 5.  People with 'old' versions of MS Office might choose us rather than
> upgrade
> to MSO
> Not great options but its what we have.
> Regards from
> Tom :)
>
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