 
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Microsoft introduces its most ambitious OS
You may buy Windows XP because it offers nifty tricks for editing photos and music. Microsoft surely wants the revenue but has much grander ambitions for its latest OS.
Microsoft has argued that adding OS features provides added value for consumers. But how do competitors feel when they find their products competing with Microsoft's bundled software?
Microsoft has a monopoly on PC operating systems, but that doesn't mean the company isn't looking over its shoulder. Nowhere is that concern more obvious than in the server market.
One reason Microsoft can't ignore Linux is that the alternative OS has shown longevity. How did the upstart reach a milestone seen by few others that would dare challenge Microsoft?
It took seven years and the return of Steve Jobs to get OS X out the door. Is it enough to spur sales? Not until there are more programs to run on it.
Wireless networking, CD burning and photo editing? All were Apple's domain before Microsoft got savvy. Microsoft's embrace is flattering, but that may be of little solace to Apple.
Linux's popularity is still strong, but many start-ups and other companies that offer the system are finding it hard to survive on the technology scraps left behind by Microsoft.
