Rob Enderle over at Datamation.com takes a fascinating look at the state of desktop computing, featuring one of the most provocative headlines that doesn't include the word porn: Apple vs. Google vs. Linux vs. Microsoft: The Fight For the Desktop is On!
Enderle writes:
I have not seen this level of competition before and Microsoft has never appeared more exposed. In my lifetime I have never seen a major vendor allow the kind of attack-marketing Apple is using without challenge. And, coupled with initial problems with Windows Vista, Microsoft suddenly looks like they are in a fight for the desktop the likes of which they -- and we -- have never seen.
Later, Enderle makes this salient point about frustrated Microsoft customers:
Microsoft has made some but not all of the mistakes IBM made. They have effectively raised prices for core offerings without ensuring that the perceived value has increased -- making many customers feel, like they did with IBM, that they are overcharged. Firms like Gartner fuel this belief with services that sell the idea that Microsoft customers are overpaying for their offerings. Increasingly, IT buyers are viewing their payments to Microsoft as a tax.
The column is a must read for anyone interested in Apple, Google, Linux, or online porn.
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