Anti-Microsoft-ism

[Mark Flanagan]

Microsoft has an monopoly thus people hate it.
Steam has a monopoly but people defend it.
Apple has a monopoly but people sell kidneys for their products (which aren't that amazing IMO TBH).

People are hypocrites (in a nice way). I'm not super techie so the reasons why other more tech savvy people dislike Microsoft don't matter to me but it seems people will happily grab their ankles and applaude like the sheep they are when Apple reveal the 'new' amazing thing the iPhone can do ("So innovative!") that other mobile phones have been doing for a couple of years.

But maybe I'm just a bitter jaded 20 something....

 

[AdumbroDeus]

Because their operating system and the vast majority of their programs are generally grap, and unless I explicitly get an apple (much better [/sarcasm], especially when they're telling their tech support to deny a problem exists) I am forced to pay for windows whether the computer actually has it or not.


And then there's microsoft's constant setting of standards (that IT usually doesn't follow) as a way to force out competitors. You know like that game for windows live with it's stupid X-box for windows controller.


If so many of my games didn't require windows, I'd use linux as my sole OS.

 

[Wintermoot]

because they charge $100+ for a disc you would only use once and is required to make your PC run all the software developed for it.

 

[Atmos Duality]

And while I don't pretend to be a technical genius, I've been deeper into Windows than most people know exists, and I've seen very little in the way of bullshit in Vista. Sure, there are things I'd have done differently, things that could have been better optimized or have a better interface, but I've seen nothing to cause me the deep, undying, personal hatred of Microsoft some people seem to feel.

Oho..you haven't seen Vista's definition of "security". UAC doesn't catch shit; many of the same hacks, buffer overflow attacks and holes in the last build of XP work in Vista even today.

Hell, I recall finding two gaping holes in Windows XP (post Service Pack 3) that could cripple your system that weren't even given minimal security (deleting one of two certain unprotected folders would cause Winduhs to forget where certain files would go during the boot sequence and it didn't even have a mechanism to to create or rebuild those folders from archive...such amazing ineptitude in design).

But back on topic:
My hatred of Microsoft stems primarily from their actions in the 90s. Actions like when they would buy out stock in a new computer tech firm, take their name and products, then fire all the original employees to keep them out of the business.
This is what we called "torpedoing", and it's about as underhanded as business gets without resorting to corporate espionage and sabotage.
Microsoft was doing this on a near-weekly basis during their heyday.

I've no doubt that it would have gone well out of control if Microsoft hadn't been called before congress on anti-trust claims.

 

[Fooz]

i personnaly love microsoft

 

[solidstatemind]

Wow. It appears that this is sliding rapidly into a Microsoft flame-fest. Lovely. I suppose I should be surprised that we got past one page before we started to get into the anecdotal 'crimes', spurious claims, and self-focus.

 

[Pumpkin_Eater]

Microsoft deserves more credit than they've received for their support of homebrew, going as far as releasing an SDK for Kinect within months of the device's release. Meanwhile Sony takes you to court if you color outside the lines, Nintendo is making their next portable instantly and remotely brickable, and most game companies are stepping up DRM and withholding content from used the used and even non-preorder markets. In recent history MS has actually been one of the more pro-consumer companies as far as gaming is concerned.

 

[Therumancer]

Ok, Im not a fanboy or anything, but what is it with the wave of anti-Microsoft sentiments these days. What unforgivable sin has Microsoft committed. I mean, I know we accuse it of being monopolistic, but can you imagine the state of the world if everyone used a different OS. Imagine the burden on software developers to have to program for 50 different OS's. What do we all hate Microsoft for??

I suppose if your young enough or haven't been following computers for very long you wouldn't know.


Microsoft isn't hated for one reason. It's a combination of things they have done. One of the big ones has of course been their monopoly on operating systems and computer technology and the tactics they were using to prevent competition. This has involved things as simple as web browsers with Microsoft acting to ensure it's own browser was the only one that worked properly on the Internet. Microsoft was confronted by the goverment, and over a period of time was forced to relent. In recent years they haven't been as bad, but a lot of people don't forget the things they have tried to do.

Then of course there is the whole issue of Windows Vs. DOS. MS DOS (various versions) gave users a lot of control over their systems. While Windows simplified things and allowed more casual people to get involved with computers, this came at the expense of the power of the individual user.

On top of this, you might not know it but Bill Gates and Steve Jobs used to be buddies/partners. Bill allegedly stole a lot of the stuff that made him rich FROM Steve. While Steve Jobs is a piece of work in his own right, especially nowadays, you have to understand that this is also why a lot of people don't like Microsoft. It goes back to the time when you had the first DOS based computers and Apple II systems in schools and such
and so on... Today it's hard to really see Steve Jobs as being a victim, but well, he was viewed as one for a very long time. I believe they even did a movie about all of this called "Pirates Of Silicon Valley".

Overall, Microsoft kind of deserves the reputation it has. Of course for kids growing up now who associate Microsoft with the "X-Box" and have never known anything but Windows, and have probably never seen an Apple/Apple II computer... it's not surprising they might not "get it". The same applies to various casual users who are new to computers.

I'll also say that among gamers there is some nationalism involved as well. Microsoft is our local, American super villain where Sony is Japan's. The duel between them has had a lot of people rooting for their "home team" so to speak, and getting caught up in it to the point where people forget that both of these groups are villains and really, really corrupt and greedy in their own ways.

 

[5mj7R7yf4Dwr3gdZyyu9PeGNwYjlNrjzuh3iTXQG]

Hating Microsoft is so 2001.

Correction. Hating on Microsoft is so 1990.

Gates stole much of MS DOS tech from Digital Research, and the Windows design from Xerox (so did Apple, by the way, with the Mac OS).

Windows is full of sabotage devices to ensure your distributable software won't work on it, unless you know where these devices are, and how to circumvent them, which requires a development kit, requiring an expensive (3-4 digit) subcription.

Then there's standard windows testing and signing if you don't want the suspicious software flags appearing whenever someone downloads your software. More money to MS.

And then they don't tell you everything, so that Microsoft's own titles have that competitive edge over yours.

Oh, and then there's Windows Genuine Advantage, which set the stage for all the DRM devices that you get to tolerate today like parasites attached to your system (e.g. persistant online connections, activation, required accounts, phoning home, privacy surrender licenses, publisher-end kill switches, steel-studed sand-encrusted wide-gauge dildoes.) And with Zune, Microsoft showed it was okay revoked your media licenses whenever Big Micro felt like, namely when they upgraded music DRM, or ultimately when Zune failed. This is why EA feels right keeping your licenses valid only for a year.

The latest crap, such as monetizing Windows Live!, Bing, Windows 7 idiot-proofing, buggy, buggy, buggy, buggy releases and such are the sparklies in the frosting... on the sauce... in the pudding... the cake was before most of you were born.

Microsoft isn't just evil. Microsoft set the standards of evil that other evil corporations follow to this day.

238U.

 

[Luthir Fontaine]

while some people have reasons to hate microsoft most are just haters doing what they do best

 

[Pumpkin_Eater]

I'll also say that among gamers there is some nationalism involved as well. Microsoft is our local, American super villain where Sony is Japan's. The duel between them has had a lot of people rooting for their "home team" so to speak, and getting caught up in it to the point where people forget that both of these groups are villains and really, really corrupt and greedy in their own ways.

PS2 is my favorite console of all time, but Sony's recent behavior is just unacceptable; unless they start operating drastically different they've permanently lost me as a customer. MS is not as customer friendly as it could be, but compared to the maker of the other 'core' console there's a world of difference, which I got into with the post above yours.

Valve is the most consumer friendly of the large game companies in my opinion, but I would rather leave it at the rather than derail the thread.

Windows is full of sabotage devices to ensure your distributable software won't work on it, unless you know where these devices are, and how to circumvent them, which requires a development kit, requiring an expensive (3-4 digit) subcription.

Care to explain how the homebrew developers who made the numerous free software programs I use were all able to afford that kit and subscription?

 

[Beryl77]

People like to hate things/persons and some big, evil corporation is the right receiver of this hate.

 

[penguindude42]

Ok, Im not a fanboy or anything, but what is it with the wave of anti-Microsoft sentiments these days. What unforgivable sin has Microsoft committed. I mean, I know we accuse it of being monopolistic, but can you imagine the state of the world if everyone used a different OS. Imagine the burden on software developers to have to program for 50 different OS's. What do we all hate Microsoft for??

They made the Xbox.

Thread over, everyone go home.

~Tom<3

 

[Flac00]

Ok, Im not a fanboy or anything, but what is it with the wave of anti-Microsoft sentiments these days. What unforgivable sin has Microsoft committed. I mean, I know we accuse it of being monopolistic, but can you imagine the state of the world if everyone used a different OS. Imagine the burden on software developers to have to program for 50 different OS's. What do we all hate Microsoft for??

Well, to counter that argument. How will anything get better if there is only one real operating system. I can tell you right now. Almost every new thing Microsoft has for Windows 7 was on Mac OSX or Linux long before. If it wasn't for those two other operating systems, we would be stuck with crap.

 

[silasbufu]

Because it's cooler to like the underdogs for some people.

I like my Microsoft products and I don't care about the company itself. Whatever Bill Gates did, he still revolutionized ..stuff

 

[Pumpkin_Eater]

Ok, Im not a fanboy or anything, but what is it with the wave of anti-Microsoft sentiments these days. What unforgivable sin has Microsoft committed. I mean, I know we accuse it of being monopolistic, but can you imagine the state of the world if everyone used a different OS. Imagine the burden on software developers to have to program for 50 different OS's. What do we all hate Microsoft for??

Well, to counter that argument. How will anything get better if there is only one real operating system. I can tell you right now. Almost every new thing Microsoft has for Windows 7 was on Mac OSX or Linux long before. If it wasn't for those two other operating systems, we would be stuck with crap.

Agreed. Competition spurs innovation; this is the best, but not only reason that the existence of multiple widely used OS's is a good thing. I would like to point out though, that optimization and performance boosts are the two real reasons to use 7 over the previous two versions, not the new features.

 

[Flac00]

Ok, Im not a fanboy or anything, but what is it with the wave of anti-Microsoft sentiments these days. What unforgivable sin has Microsoft committed. I mean, I know we accuse it of being monopolistic, but can you imagine the state of the world if everyone used a different OS. Imagine the burden on software developers to have to program for 50 different OS's. What do we all hate Microsoft for??

Well, to counter that argument. How will anything get better if there is only one real operating system. I can tell you right now. Almost every new thing Microsoft has for Windows 7 was on Mac OSX or Linux long before. If it wasn't for those two other operating systems, we would be stuck with crap.

Agreed. Competition spurs innovation; this is the best, but not only reason that the existence of multiple widely used OS's is a good thing. I would like to point out though, that optimization and performance boosts are the two real reasons to use 7 over the previous two versions, not the new features.

I don't think that is software though. PC's are inherently stronger than Mac's, hardware wise. An entry level mac is weaker than an entry level PC. So even though they both might be able to run at the same speed on the operating system (theoretically), that would mean the Mac operating system is better optimized. An example would be with Vista. Many people had to upgrade to a new computer just to run it. On the other hand, I have not upgraded my Mac since tiger or leopard or some large cat, and it runs OS X fine. Some features do not appear (like having 2 simultaneous working screens, but that is optimizing for you.

 

[ParkourMcGhee]

Create Halo game>console exclusive>No Pc version>hate

Make a half-decent OS>Make new OS with unnecessary, hogging features>Make DX10/11,IPv6 OS exclusive>make new OS from old OS build then sell at full price>Make newer OS designed for children>geeks get angry

...Halo may not be perfect (far from it) but I would still like to play it. Well that's my grind so far.

Halo 1 & 2 are available for PC.

Neither were originally, and halo 2 and 3 were released as brand new console exclusives (and stayed that way for a while).

Basically a lot of reasons, but I'm just going to say the 360 and Vista for now.

Oh and locking people in with ever 'newer' office versions.

They just seem like greedy money grabbers to me, though apple isn't any better and sony very close behind them.

But many people have put forward many of the other valid reasons.

And yeah, people have hated microsoft for literally years now. For various reasons, possibly starting with apple fanboys, but the hatred HAS been there 's all I'm saying .

This website has a hatred for all consoles, in order I would say they hate nintendo the most, then microsoft, then since the network crashed they started hitting on soney. Handheld games dont count as games here and the PC is an omnipotent god. Thats basically how I have come to understand this website.

Huh? What's wrong with Nintendo? They run their own quirky side of the gaming industry, and play fair from my point of view. Not to mention the N64 with goldeneye among others.

 

[Flac00]

Because it's cooler to like the underdogs for some people.

I like my Microsoft products and I don't care about the company itself. Whatever Bill Gates did, he still revolutionized ..stuff

And what would an example of that be? Most of those "innovations" were made by other companies, and improved by them. Microsoft just had more diehard (and somewhat ignorant) fans, and better marketing.

 

[Pumpkin_Eater]

I don't think that is software though. PC's are inherently stronger than Mac's, hardware wise. An entry level mac is weaker than an entry level PC. So even though they both might be able to run at the same speed on the operating system (theoretically), that would mean the Mac operating system is better optimized. An example would be with Vista. Many people had to upgrade to a new computer just to run it. On the other hand, I have not upgraded my Mac since tiger or leopard or some large cat, and it runs OS X fine. Some features do not appear (like having 2 simultaneous working screens, but that is optimizing for you.

Around the time of Win7's release a lot of groups did benchmarking tests between XP, Vista, and 7 on things like boot up time, networking tasks, passive memory usage, etc. Win7 tended to win these tests, even on older machines that didn't have the hardware for Vista. MS overhauled Windows to be more modern with Vista, but it proved to be bloated and unusable for many people; the development time between Vista and 7 was mostly devoted to optimizing code, trimming memory waste, and stabilizing the OS. You could almost think of Vista as Win7's beta.