🚀 go-pugleaf

reisert@mast.enet.dec.com (Jim Reisert) writes:

> 
>  Microsoft - Gates, in memo, warns of attack and defeat by rivals
> 
> 	{The Wall Street Journal, 19-Jun-91, p. B8}
> 
>    Mr. Gates' state of mind is evident in a memo he wrote in April to his top
>  executives in which he said that some of his worst fears were coming true:
>  "Our nightmare - IBM 'attacking' us in system software, Novell 'defeating' u
>  in networking and more agile, customer-oriented applications competitors
>  getting their Windows act together - is a reality." The memo was obtained by
>  the San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News, which quoted from it in a story publishe
>  in its editions yesterday. The authenticity of the memo  was independently
>  confirmed by Microsoft. ... Though Mr. Gates publicly insists he still has
>  plans for OS/2, an alternative piece of the software that IBM and Microsoft
>  formally are jointly developing and Mr. Gates once heralded as the standard 
>  the future, he indicates he has relegated OS/2 to oblivion. "Our strategy fo
>  the '90s is Windows - one evolving architecture, a couple of implementations
>  Everything we do should focus on making Windows more successful," Mr. Gates
>  wrote, according to the San Jose Mercury News. That position angers IBM, whi
>  paid Microsoft huge amounts of money over the years to lead OS/2 development
>  Frustrated with Microsoft's stance, IBM began directly pushing OS/2. The spl
>  has had unintended benefits, writes Mr. Gates, who complains that the
>  partnership with IBM forced Microsoft to accept "poor code, poor design and
>  other overhead." Ironically, in his memo, Mr. Gates instructs his senior sta
>  to refrain from publicly criticizing IBM, advising that they "not attack IBM
>  as a company, and even out public 'attacks' on [IBM's] OS/2 will be very
>  professional." Mr. Gates, known for playing hardball with both rivals and
>  allies alike, makes it clear that such restraint is self-serving. "Eventuall
>  we need to have at least a neutral relationship with IBM," he writes. "For t
>  next 24 months it may be fairly cold. We can emerge as a better and stronger
>  company where people won't just say we are the standard because IBM chose us
>  Among other observations, Mr. Gates writes:
>    -- Losing the legal battle with Apple Computer Inc., which is fighting in
>  court to prove Microsoft copied some key features of Apple's Macintosh
>  software for its own Windows program could be "disastrous."
>    -- The current Federal Trade Commission investigation into allegations of
>  unfair business practices by Microsoft "will use up even more executive staf
>  time than the Apple lawsuit has. However, I know we don't get unfair
>  advantages. I hope we can quickly educate the FTC on our business."
>    -- Microsoft isn't doing an adequate job responding to customer inquiries
>  about its products. "The number of customers who get a bad impression becaus
>  of this must be in the millions world-wide."

I'm sorry, but I cannot help but laugh at all that.  I don't know about 
anybody else, but I've started to become rather annoyed (to say the 
least) by Microsoft and all of its ventures.  OS/2 for the 386 might've 
been nice, since I don't care for Windows 3.0 and all of its 'features', 
and Microsoft, to me, having no set goals except to sell millions of 
copies of revamped, less-than-acceptable software (ie Windows 3.0, and 
MS-DOS).  They're just out there to milk the consumers out of money, 
IMHO.  I'm glad they're failing.  If I've offended anybody, tough.

       _______
      /       \
     |  O   O  |         Victor Limary
    <|    <    |>        mimas!vcl@bbx.basis.com
     |  _____  |
      \   U   /
       "-----"