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**mbossman2** · 04-02-2002, 08:06 AM

Looking at the size and scope of the MS O/S, it is suprising that they have as few issues as they do.

With any process that is as broad and as deep as Windows is, there are bound to be issues. Couple that with the fact that any company that large has a nearly unmanageable bureacracy (sp?) and you end up with situations of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing.

To scrub every possible bug, hole etc, would be a monumental undertaking and frankly not very profitable.

Could MS plug, fix, and patch all the issues? Yes, they could. How much would that add to the price? I could not even hazard a guess.

Also you need to look at MS as a unifier within the IT field. Without MS you very well might have had 10-20 (or more) competing O/S's out there. Who knows if there would be the same level of interoperability that exists today. Multiple implementations of network connectivity, many more compatibility issues with various hardware devices. Compaq with 1 O/S, HP with another, Dell with a 3rd and none of them integrating seamlessly with the other. Then you have the different O/S's supporting 1 component manufacturer but not others. Not only are the implications for the computing field pretty staggering but the economic repercussions would have been widespread. Could the technology boom of the 80's and 90's have occurred? I don't know, it might have, but then again it might not have until or unless 1 player emrged to show leadership and direction.

Linux is a wonderful O/S for certain applicaitons, but in the overall scheme of things is still very much a niche player.

04-02-2002, 08:06 AM	#22
mbossman2 I am, in reality, a moose Staff Premium Member Join Date: Aug 1999 Location: RTP, NC Posts: 2,441	Looking at the size and scope of the MS O/S, it is suprising that they have as few issues as they do. With any process that is as broad and as deep as Windows is, there are bound to be issues. Couple that with the fact that any company that large has a nearly unmanageable bureacracy (sp?) and you end up with situations of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing. To scrub every possible bug, hole etc, would be a monumental undertaking and frankly not very profitable. Could MS plug, fix, and patch all the issues? Yes, they could. How much would that add to the price? I could not even hazard a guess. Also you need to look at MS as a unifier within the IT field. Without MS you very well might have had 10-20 (or more) competing O/S's out there. Who knows if there would be the same level of interoperability that exists today. Multiple implementations of network connectivity, many more compatibility issues with various hardware devices. Compaq with 1 O/S, HP with another, Dell with a 3rd and none of them integrating seamlessly with the other. Then you have the different O/S's supporting 1 component manufacturer but not others. Not only are the implications for the computing field pretty staggering but the economic repercussions would have been widespread. Could the technology boom of the 80's and 90's have occurred? I don't know, it might have, but then again it might not have until or unless 1 player emrged to show leadership and direction. Linux is a wonderful O/S for certain applicaitons, but in the overall scheme of things is still very much a niche player. __________________ Veritas Principium Libertas Traveling Moose Last edited by mbossman2; 04-02-2002 at 08:18 AM.