4 ms·

As I understand it, Microsoft needs to keep Windows everywhere so they can sell everything else (Office, Exchange, Server, SQL and Sharepoint). Why don't they

As I understand it, Microsoft needs to keep Windows everywhere so they can sell everything else (Office, Exchange, Server, SQL and Sharepoint). Why don't they give Windows for free ?

chollida1 13y ago
> Why don't they give Windows for free ? I think you know the reason, its because they make a shit load of money selling it. It's not at all clear that they would be better off giving it away for free.
- jmnicolas 13y ago
  Sure but they're loosing ground. If I was them I'd rather make less money now and stay relevant for the next 20 years than satisfy my immediate greed and disappear* in the next decade ... * disappear is too strong but my English being limited I don't have the word I need to convey what I mean.
  - venomsnake 13y ago
    Slide into obscurity is probably the phrase you seek.
- sirkneeland 13y ago
  At this point Windows is only a quarter of MS's revenue, and that is a figure that is sure to continue declining. The only question is whether it declines because they make it free, or because fewer people will be buying and using it.
  - JonoBB 13y ago
    "Only a quarter" is still $6bn per quarter (give or take). (Note, I haven't checked the 25% part, but their last quarter's revenue was ~$24bn).
Retric 13y ago
Microsoft could quickly sell a Linux version of Exchange or SharePoint even if it's just debugging a Wine version. However, by only selling Windows versions they make more money and increase the Windows ecosystem. Don't forget MS has enough cash on hand to handle huge market shifts so they can focus on maximizing short term profit.
- venomsnake 13y ago
  There are a lot of things that cash can not buy ... MS failed to buy Bing a place in the spotlight, failed to buy good will for Windows 8.1, Google failed to buy its way into social networking and video (there was google video back in the ancient times) - the list goes on. Unless MS find a way for the people to genuinely like the products they peddle to the Devices and Services target audience - their cash will last only so far.
  - ef4 13y ago
    > Google failed to buy its way into ... video Google bought YouTube. Which appears to have been a very successful way to buy its way into video.
laureny 13y ago
Meanwhile, at a Microsoft board meeting: "Guys, I know we've been making around $20 billion a year selling Windows licenses but this guy jmnicolas on Hacker News is suggesting we should give it away". "That's... brilliant... Why didn't we think of that before?"
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]

As I understand it, Microsoft needs to keep Windows everywhere so they can sell everything else (Office, Exchange, Server, SQL and Sharepoint). Why don't they give Windows for free ?

chollida1 13y ago

> Why don't they give Windows for free ? I think you know the reason, its because they make a shit load of money selling it. It's not at all clear that they would be better off giving it away for free.

jmnicolas 13y ago
Sure but they're loosing ground. If I was them I'd rather make less money now and stay relevant for the next 20 years than satisfy my immediate greed and disappear* in the next decade ... * disappear is too strong but my English being limited I don't have the word I need to convey what I mean.
- venomsnake 13y ago
  Slide into obscurity is probably the phrase you seek.
sirkneeland 13y ago
At this point Windows is only a quarter of MS's revenue, and that is a figure that is sure to continue declining. The only question is whether it declines because they make it free, or because fewer people will be buying and using it.
- JonoBB 13y ago
  "Only a quarter" is still $6bn per quarter (give or take). (Note, I haven't checked the 25% part, but their last quarter's revenue was ~$24bn).

Retric 13y ago

Microsoft could quickly sell a Linux version of Exchange or SharePoint even if it's just debugging a Wine version. However, by only selling Windows versions they make more money and increase the Windows ecosystem. Don't forget MS has enough cash on hand to handle huge market shifts so they can focus on maximizing short term profit.

venomsnake 13y ago
There are a lot of things that cash can not buy ... MS failed to buy Bing a place in the spotlight, failed to buy good will for Windows 8.1, Google failed to buy its way into social networking and video (there was google video back in the ancient times) - the list goes on. Unless MS find a way for the people to genuinely like the products they peddle to the Devices and Services target audience - their cash will last only so far.
- ef4 13y ago
  > Google failed to buy its way into ... video Google bought YouTube. Which appears to have been a very successful way to buy its way into video.

laureny 13y ago

Meanwhile, at a Microsoft board meeting: "Guys, I know we've been making around $20 billion a year selling Windows licenses but this guy jmnicolas on Hacker News is suggesting we should give it away". "That's... brilliant... Why didn't we think of that before?"

deleted 13y ago
[deleted]