“This piece is the first in a series of articles that seeks to answer two basic questions: ‘Where would the computing world be if Microsoft never existed?’ and ‘Would the computing world be better off without its 20 years of influence?’ This series will start off with an unbiased, alternate history in which Microsoft doesn’t rise to power. Then, alternate histories will be constructed for various key players (past and present) to examine how they might have ended up had Microsoft not existed. Finally, after analyzing the most likely ‘alternate’ course of history a conclusion will be reached to determine whether or not Microsoft’s existence has ultimately done more harm than good,” James R. Stoup writes for Apple Matters.
Stoup writes, “While writing these articles various opinions were solicited from different types of users. Most people fell into one of two categories: the ‘Microsoft Unites’ camp and the ‘Microsoft Suppresses’ camp. Depending then, on which side one favors, Microsoft’s influence on history (or lack thereof) will either be positive or negative.”
Stoup plans a six-part series of articles:
1: What if Microsoft never existed?
2: A Destiny Destroyed
3: Amiga, Apple, HP, Dell and IBM, Hardware Without the “Microsoft Tax”
4: Apple, Amiga, BeOS, Linux and Unix, how the Other Operating Systems Fared
5: Intel, AMD, Motorola and IBM, Rise of the Machines
6: Where Could We Be?
“Part 1 – What if Microsoft never existed?” full article here.
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Related MacDailyNews article:
FBI: Viruses, spyware, other computer-related crimes cost U.S. businesses $67.2 billion per year – February 01, 2006
We would have had hundreds of billions more tax dollars to spend lost to malware. One missile for each and every American to protect themselves from terrorists, for example.
Yea, Ampar, the cost of putting in a silo in my backyard with the latest I.C.B.M. is just way too costly!
We wouldn’t have monkey boy videos to entertain ourselves with.
We would have Halo on the Mac and only on the Mac back in 2000 like it was demo’ed at MW1999
Microsoft was not bad until it had the near monopoly. Most of the early computers used Microsoft’s BASIC, but IBM’s decision to build the PC from commodity parts opened the door for Microsoft to reach the next level as they could sell to anyone. DOS was not bad, it was nothing special but it was not bad. Culprit number two is Apple, they (Sculley) gave MS all they needed to make windows viable.
Where would the world be without Microsoft? Probably with a smaller computer market, but a more advanced one as hardware competition would have brought out more advances. Microsoft created the commodity PC market that has produced the explosion of computers will starving the R&D.
Would Steve Jobs have ever been forced out and created NeXT? Perhaps Microsoft is the necessary evil.
We will never know, perhaps it is best to just trust in Providence.
Ampar
The USA needs more missiles? How about better schools and free healthcare?
And back on topic,
Amiga would still have bit the dust.
UNIX and Linux would still be marginal players.
Apple OS10 would be OS9 with a few extra bells and whistles.
Microsoft’s playing dirty has caused other players to raise their game. Mac computing for one is better thanks to MS being there. The human race as a whole has possibly suffered. There’s a lot of brainy people who could have been better applied.
Symantec and McAffee wouldn’t be household names. On the other hand, we’d all be complaining about Steve Jobs’ monopoly on the personal computer market.
Halo AND Duke Nukem Forever! And the Earth would have been renamed Blisstonia.
TF: Don’t go ballistic! I think Popular Science a few issues back showed how to make your own silo. And the intarweb has the scoop on do-it-yourself trajectiles. It’s all in the details.
20 years in the future
Dave: turn up your sarcasm meter! How about a missile that delivers medicine to poor nations?
I like Bobby’s take, I think it has somehow held back innovation. It is a bit like the auto industry, the internal combustion engine is still essentially the same as it was when it was invented, but this one ‘standard’ has given many many people independance. There are so many sides to this discussion, standards do seem to stifle, but the upside is that it allows more people to participate.
Ampar
Now you’re talking. As long as it’s not exploding medicine.
“Take three times a day, via flesh wounds”
And in the alternate universe of Mac users, a certain Mr. Stoup conjectures…
Ho-hum.
Dave:
I hear that the Pentagon is working on missiles that only target bad people. That’s the real reason for Vista. It has secret built-in “bad people” masking that creates a shield over Redmond, WA. This is very hush hush. In fact, I heard that a hunting buddy of Dick Cheney’s found out about this.
Apple and ist more artistic way of computing just needs the Microsoft challenge to make the beautiful things they have now.
Let Microsoft be the Office and Mac’s be the Studio.
Question:
“Where would the computing world be if Microsoft never existed?”
Corollary:
“How could Mac users cope if they didn’t have M$ to hate?”
Cannibalism comes to mind…
Ampar
Ouch! You said something bad about a member of the administration. Now you’ll unleash four hundred comments about terrorist-loving liberals.
(Once high school gets out for the day anyway)
EMU
We don’t hate Microsoft. We just hate Microsoft evangelists.
Sound like anyone you know?
Every household would have 2 or 3 $6500.00 Apple Macs. Sure they would.
Windoze may be the suckiest suck that ever sucked, but at least M$ has helped commoditize the PC and drive down the price.
Dave,
Better schools, yes we pay enough we deserve better. But free healthcare? It’s never free, someone has to pays for it.
I haven’t received my missile yet, are they free?
M/W feed. as in: Dave, does the supermarket need to “feed” you for free?
Is it just me or are these threads on MDN becoming a waste of time?
I don’t seem to learn anything from them now and reading inane posts like these is a waste of my time.
From a grumpy old man (in case you hadn’t guessed).
Sounds like everyone on this blog just needs a big group hug!
Isn’t Valentines Day tomorrow?
Just keeping with the spirit of things…
Evangelist.
Why do Mac people always have to bring religion into the equation? Honestly, that’s beginning to freak me out. Makes me wonder whether our Mac guy could go postal on me should anything bad ever happen to Apple…
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Jerry T “does the supermarket need to “feed” you for free?”
No, but then I have bags of cash. Some people aren’t as fortunate as I am.
It isn’t communism to have a bit of compassion.
EMU
Step away from the Redmond spin and listen to yourself and your colleagues. I’m a network guy. i’ve worked with Microsofties time and again. They never even bother to look at competing products, and don’t even realise that something can be done unless spoonfed it by their MCP courses. They are truly blinded to alternatives, and scoff at anything that is at odds to their world view.
You don’t need a religion to have a fanatic.
What a load of useless rubbish? Apple Matters is unbiased? Well no! It’s a pro Apple web site. That’s why it’s one of my favourite web sites. And when we talk about alternate history we get very close to science fiction.
The clincher however is this line:
“…In a true free-market economy the superior product (BetaMax excluded) will ultimately win. And the customer will eventually get the best product possible at the lowest price. This principle has held true in almost every industry whether it be the auto industry, textiles, TV, audio transmission, fast food, telephones, guns, medicine and everything in between. So, if all of these other industries can benefit from competition why can’t the computer industry gain as well?”
There is no such thing as free market economy; not when you have governments which pass laws ranging from consumer protection, labour regulation through to anti-trust legislation. By their very nature, these laws ameliorate the excesses of unfettered capitalism. It’s one of the main reasons we have governments. Add to that fiscal and monetary policies and what you have is a private enterprise economy.
You can’t talk about a free market economy because it doesn’t exist, but then again this an alternate history so anything is possible…even flying saucers.