Microsoft is generally considered as monopolistic uncompetitive software behemoth that rules the computer operating system and productivity software market with an iron fist and forces computer manufacturers, distributors and consumers with no other option than its Windows and Office products. The fact that Microsoft's software has historically been buggy and and plagued with countless security problems (remember Code Red) doesn't do it any good in scoring good points in the public image.
Yet, despite knowing all this I am saying that we should thank the Redmond, Washington based software giant. I go through my arguments in the following paragraphs.
Everyone in the technology and business community owe a big debt to Microsoft and its founder Bill Gates and CEO Steve Ballmer. These guys taking the concept of computing, revolutionized it and then made it ubiquitous.
It is generally considered 'hip' to criticize Microsoft for its failures (remember Microsoft Bob and Windows ME) especially on the consumer side of computing but even though they faced many failures ranging from bad marketing (Windows Vista), bad security (Windows 2000 and Windows XP pre-SP2) to simply a really poor products (Windows ME and Windows 98 First Edition) they have somehow managed the job of getting almost every consumer and every business on a single platform. Although the platform is still closed its ubiquity makes interoperability very easy.
While some argue that Apple has superior products (which is debatable) they don't realize that the recipe for such "proclaimed superiority" rides on the back of Apple's total control of the software and hardware platform of their products. This is true for all their products including Macs, iPhones, iPods and even the brand new iPad. Apple has this control whereas Microsoft does not. This same feature of Apple made it a niche product (even though it is superior in some aspects) and made Microsoft a ubiquitous product.
Since the boom of computing started in the 1980s Apple developed a certain monopoly not only over its products but also on its distribution channels. And just like any other monopoly in the world Apple kept the prices of its products considerably higher compared to cheap PCs with Windows. This situation made it a no-brainer for businesses to go for the Windows based PC rather than the more expensive Macintosh.
This eventually led to the increase in market share of the Windows platform which made it a no-brainer for software developers who obviously started to write programs for Windows as more and more people would be targeted through the Windows platform.
Meanwhile Microsoft made backward compatibility (the ability to run programs for older versions of Windows to run on newer versions of Windows) a key aspect of its software development. This inevitably led to code bloating and lessening of innovation but from a brighter perspective it made businesses rest assured that its mission critical applications would not break down on a newer version of Windows. This was not the case with Apple.
I must note here that this blog post is not meant as an attempt to bash Apple but is to make people realize that Microsoft is responsible for making computing ubiquitous and reachable and affordable to all.
Of course Apple has its bright side too. No one thought that Apple (a computer company) would revolutionize the music industry with its legendary iPods or the phone industry with its iPhone. The iPad too looks promising but we'll have to wait and watch how it turns out to be.
The only thing Microsoft needs to fear and work for is its gradually eroding innovation. They have shown in recent months with the launch of Windows 7 that they can innovate but they have their work cut out for them as now Apple is charging ahead with breakthroughs in technology and awe inspiring innovation.
But for the time being we should look at the brighter side and thank Microsoft....
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Mitul Choksi
February 10, 2010
2:32 PM Indian Standard Time
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