4 ms·
I think the article missed the main cause, Visa isn't very good so people don't want it.
by kzar 18y ago
I think the article missed the main cause, Visa isn't very good so people don't want it.
- Raphael 18y agoThey much prefer the alternatives: Mastercard, Discover, and American Express.
- aneesh 18y agoI'd be wary of proclaiming this as "the beginning of the end", as the article title seems to imply. There were two things wrong with Vista: 1) issues with 3rd party software & drivers, and 2) steep hardware requirements. The first was due to enhancements to user accounts & security, and is largely fixed today. Anyway, people aren't going to be using Windows XP for the next 5 years, so they'll switch en masse to Windows 7 or to OS X. Apple still isn't competing at the lower price points, so unless Windows 7 is just really bad, I think we'll see the numbers pick back up when Win7 comes out.
- jimbokun 18y agoThe real possible "beginning of the end" problem is the popularity of $300 netbooks, and Microsoft only getting $30 on these versus $70 for a more "traditional" PC. If this trend continues to accelerate, the revenue Microsoft gets per PC will steadily decline and likely offset the increase in revenue from increased volume.
- jackchristopher 18y agoEven with that perception of Vista (whether true or not), The problem is deeper. Microsoft is on a philosophical decline; they don't matter as much. And Paul predicted this a while back. Desktops would be replaced with a smaller web-focused devices. [1] Grandmas will be left using Windows. [2] Microsoft is declining in importance. [1] [2] [3] [1]http://www.paulgraham.com/road.html http://www.paulgraham.com/road.html [2]http://www.paulgraham.com/microsoft.html http://www.paulgraham.com/microsoft.html [3]http://www.paulgraham.com/mac.html http://www.paulgraham.com/mac.html