Cross platform: How they do it?

[Ian Stephen]

On Fri, 2004-04-16 at 21:49, Joel Hammer wrote:
> I am no programmer. 
> 
> Could someone tell me why staroffice can make its products
> compatible with windows and linux and unix (mac, too?),
> but MS can't make its Office Suite cross platform?
> 
> What do you give up in making cross platform software? Does
> the software run slower?

I'm no programmer either, but what would MS give up in making it's
office suite cross-platform?

Desktop operating system dominance, that's what.

MS needs users to believe they need MS products.  As long as people
think they HAVE to use MS Office and/or Internet Explorer, Windows Media
Player, MSN Messenger, etc, they will think they need Windows.  The more
they think they need Windows, the more of an advantage MS has for all
their other products.

Let people run the applications they want on the platform they want and
who knows what they'll start thinking they can do next!

They might choose applications that use open standards and formats!

They might get sick of ads and use Gaim instead of MSN Messenger!

They might resist Longhorn!

They might demand labelling of GM foods!  Might ride a bicycle to work! 
Might grow their hair long!

The dam that stems the tide of anarchy, that's what would be lost if MS
Office became cross-platform.  Don't speak of such things.

IanS
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