Re: Bill Gates, the Bully Savior

Terry Swarner (tswarner@dynamite.com.au)
Fri, 24 Oct 1997 17:00:49 +1000

Robi Karp wrote:
>
> Lizard wrote:
> : A lot of people have never used anything BUT Microsoft;a lot of
> : people don't have the budget to try six word processors, or
> : have a Linux partition on their hard drive, or sample several
> : databases.
>
Agree -- even most departments and business go with what they get in a
package versus testing. I used to evaluate software for use with a
national government and and international organization. Both would
review if they got it free for evalaution but but had limited budgets to
buy extend generations of products just to look at them.

> Declan:
> : But they can read reviews and talk to their friends. This is a large
> : portion of what tech jlists do: spend lots of $$$ and time reviewing stuff
> : so their readers won't have to.

A very heavy assumption -- Your are expecting that everyone understands
what they read. You are also expecting that the press is printing what
you need when you need it. How many times have you considered buying
something to have a trashing article come out a month later. Most
computer users in the home or the office are just that -- users. They
are not techo and do not care as long as the machine does what it is
supposed to. If everyone was interested and properly trained the Help
Desk people would be out of business.

>
> Danny:
> : There are a couple of big newspapers here whose computer sections only
> : ever seem to plug Microsoft software. Coincidentally (?) they are also
> : full of Microsoft advertising... By no stretch of the imagination are
> : most of the reviews of computer products that appear unbiased. <snip>

Business is business -- I feel for the add manager that loses $50K
account because the techo says the product sucks. Independence has its
price so unless you are like US Consumer Reports which is indpendently
funded and no advertising -- you bear (bare) you sole to those that pay
the rent.

If things were clear it this business we would not have software
producers writing manuals that are then re-written into common english a
thousand times over so the common folk and use it. I know a a leading
SE that gets the "idots" guides so he can explain his own software.

Cheers -- Terry

-- 
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Terry Swarner                       tswarner@dynamite.com.au
Internet Research, Web Authoring, Instruction, and Consultant
(AFS 2 Certified)                                 0411 462424
Snail Mail:  PO Box 1816, Tuggeranong  ACT  2901
<quote>There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept. -
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