Mike McCreadie

Leicester, UK

IT Systems Analyst

Without knowing all the facts of the case, this is how I see it:

Computing was a small thing for geeks but then along came Microsoft and Apple and they brought the GUI. Overnight the usability and hence popularity of computers increased beyond recognition. In most scenarious of this type the inovator seldom stays the course, instead others take the idea and develop it in different directions. Old Bill however is a canny bloke and he's managed to stay on top of the pile. Is this a bad thing though?

I remember what things were like before Microsoft with all and sundry touting different software with different standards and none of them worked with each other. This was a time when one operating system could not interact with another without serious headaches and committing yourself to one system was a decision for life.

The downside of Microsoft is (possibly) a lack of choice. The upside is interoperability and standards everyone trys to adhere to and, in my opinion, we're better off with Microsoft than without. I don't want to see their source code opened up to hackers, spammer, virus writers, anyone with a grudge to bear, etc because without a governing body to take over from the current monopoly of Microsoft and maintain industry standards the gates will be left open to chaos. That will make my job much more difficult.