Is this the day we have been waiting for?

[Marvin Dickens]

On Thu, 14 Mar 2002 18:35:06 -0500
Jerry McBride <mcbrides9 at comcast.net> wrote:

> Even if it never came to pass that MicroSoft withdrew their OS of the
> day... I'm willing to bet that there will be more defections to Linux
> based just on the comments of Balmer. Imagine the balls this guy has... or
> lack of brains. Totally amazing. 
> 
> Play my game or I'll take my ball home... Hah! In my youth I'd have told
> him to stuff the bloody ball,,,

I have a different opinion... An analogy to what Balmer is proposing to do:

You are a sheep farmer. You need water for your sheep. The creek you water your sheep with first flows through the cattle farm up stream. You have an arguement with the cattle farmer. He threatens to block the flow of water from his property. It's his right. He can do that. As a man who owns sheep you know that no water = dead sheep. because of the FUD the cattle farmer has created you agree to whatever terms the cattle farmer wants to resolve the arguement. Balmer is positioning M$ with FUD. Nothing more, nothing less. Besides, he knows that ultimately (No time in the near future...) M$ is gonna have to leave the OS business in order to remain profitable. He is just threatening to move the time table up. 

Also, there are technical arguements dealing with the business model of how programming makes money (From the traditional programming factory model as well as the programming service model) that support Balmers position on. 

Best

Peck