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Don't get me wrong...I like some microsoft products, but if this happened, where would google, the "moral" computer information business be?
Microsoft isn't necessarily bad, but it's far worse, business-wise, than Google. The more independent of the ugly corporate business practices that Google stays, the better, IMHO
Agreed, Microsoft is predatory, but so is all big business. Wait a while, you'll see Google can be just as ruthless as any of them.
But let's not forget, just as prisoners-of-war are obliged to try and escape, company directors are charged (legally) with maximizing profits for shareholders..
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How about this ..
So, after the
VISTA release,
Steve Ballmer leaves
Microsoft and launches a
hostile takeover of
Google, through his company
Centro Tech LLC, or CT for short (Ballmerstorming was just a codename.).
Steve Jobs takes Ballmer's position at
Microsoft and
Jim Allchin doesn't retire but replaces Jobs at
Apple. {Dn'ot let Svete Jbos arheywne near the pnicirg dpet but.}
Jobs reinvigorates
Microsoft and the shares rise, dramatically.
Allchin takes an initial HIT at
Apple but recovers when people find out how good a manager he is, and -
with passion. Not to mention getting MS software ported to Apple on time, and not leaving users as second class citizens. While continuing to work with designers to release initiative
Apple products.
After all, Jobs has left (or was pushed) from
Apple before. Only when he was brought back did the company start to turn around. But, he still had to call
Bill (that's call Bill, not kill Bill) for a $200 million investment to carry on, to start with. Then came iMac and iPod.
Microsoft can't allow
Apple to fail for appearances, and they are no real threat to
Microsoft.
Linux was (or is) more of a threat to
Microsoft, but now
Google looms the biggest threat.
Bill and
Steve could
do lunch after the takeover..
Michael Dell needs to be appointed to the
Microsoft board.
Dell survived and grew when almost everyone else, including
the great IBM threw in the towel.
For business..
Slogan: 'A Dell on every desktop. Windows and Office in every Dell..'
Could be some upgrade offers for existing MS hardware and technology for mice, keyboards, video conferencing web cams, etc. Also, if you are moving into
NEW MARKETS, at a
Government level at first, a package deal may work best.
Some closeness with the mob who bought IBM's PC business could also be an advantage.
This is only the game plan, and depends on everyone's agreement, but more importantly on:-
^ Steve Ballmer gets control of Google.
^ Bill Gates has no plans to retire.
^ Jim Allchin can be persuaded not to retire. (
He'll be reinvigorated by Apple.)
Note: This is only a business hypothetical.
However feel free to tear it apart and digitally
tar and feather me!
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#This in no way impinges upon my right as a lone consumer to b*tch and moan about the present high price of software!
Note to Microsoft: If your effective tax rate of 32% looks like rising, why not cut software prices in advance, especially on a Vista surge.*
Better to reward consumers than hand it over to Internal Revenue. After all, IRS are going to get consumers as well!
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*Although after the first Vista surge by the tech savvy, things may slow dramatically as consumers become confused by the large number of different Vista versions. Also, PC assemblers and particularly graphics card makers turn a greedy eye to increasing profits.