Hypothetical Question

[Gurm]

Here's a hypothetical question.

No arguments as to whether MS is good or bad or legal or not legal.

Imagine this scenario...

The government declares that MS is to be broken up, the courts back them up, and they intend to carry out their decision.

Now, what happens if Billy Boy, as #1 stockholder, decides that he's just gonna CLOSE the doors of MS, and shut down the company?

No more sales, no more licenses. They turn off all their servers, close the doors, turn off the phones and go home.

What happens?

- Gurm

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Listen up, you primitive screwheads! See this? This is my BOOMSTICK! Etc. etc.

[Paddy]

Red Hat anyone?

[Rags]

Just run win2k until something better comes along

[Jorden]

Well, we'll roam the internet for better solutions. Ofcourse, there's always the Roller Ball if you know how to work the instructions

Jord.

[Pertti]

Nothing prevents us from using whatever Windows that we choose from the ones that already have been released, until someone comes out with widely accepted office applications for Linux, or whatever.

The currently available OS:s and applications already do everything that is needed (and then some).

Maybe we could even realize an increase in productivity, with MS not eating up the boost provided in new hardware.

[Himself]

The next few years would be about removing half the crap that MS stuck in there to begin with.

[Joel]

Hell, he could decide to that now even if the courts don't do anything to him. He won't hurt one bit. But he won't because his ego won't let him. No matter what the courts do to him he will find a way to still dominant the industry. That won't change until he dies.

Joel

[Wombat]

You'd really see WINE development pick up : ) http://www.winehq.com

That, and people would be burning paper clips in effigy.

Actually, they couldn't just close, could they? I don't have any objections, mind you. It's just that they'd still be financially bouyant, and obligated to provide the support people have payed for.

[Gurm]

No. That's the point. What if they bail on support. No more legal licenses (which means government and corporations can't expand their installed PC base), no more support. Nothing. Close the doors and go home. End of story.

- Gurm

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Listen up, you primitive screwheads! See this? This is my BOOMSTICK! Etc. etc.

[Wombat]

They can't have it both ways. No support, no contract inforcement. I guess that would mean that people could install it where ever they want.

However, the much better alternative is to find the 3rd party companies that have access to MS's source. Finally be able to understand the .doc format, and the Windows API. Better OS's all over the world will have better support for all the things people still choose to clutch on to.

I like this question.

[Himself]

If the Windows source were under something like a GPL you'd have a bunch of baby Windows operating systems floating around. In the long term that could be a good thing, short term chaos. If the source were free you'd simply have companies trying to become MS by making Windows their own.

[RAB]

Well, if he closed the doors, and didn't care, all his copywrites would become public domain and the existing programs would all be free to anyone with a CD-ROM drive or an internet connection. That would be OK with me.

RAB

[thecurse]

i am no lawyer i only had 3 years of business law (i figured it would be good to have since i wanted to work for myself) but if i recall correctly the government can intervene and declare the company needed for for normal day to day operations of the government and take over the company if billy boy were to just close up shop.

[Jammrock]

I say we all break out or eye patches and start practicing saying, "argh." De-compile the source code, steal all the old M$ programmers and build a new OS from the ground up!!!

Until the new OS is built, we should all pirate Windows (assuming everyone has a legal copy now...argh). If there is no Microsoft, there can be no litigation, since Windows is copyright and trademarked by...Microsoft. Argh. And if there is no Microsoft, then nobody can sue you for using Windows without buying it, right? Argh.

Make the new OS compatible with all current M$/Windows apps. Let a consortium of programmers control the construction of the kernel. Once the kernel is built any company that is part of the consortium (either financially or program wise) has rights to then take the kernel and put whatever GUI and tools they want on it. Make it look like Windows, I don't care. If M$ is gone, they can't sue you.

But don't use the Linux kernel, it's old. Don't use the Win2k kernel, it's too big. Don't use the Be kernel, it's not used enough. A new one! A new kernel for all. Argh!

You could even make a special streamlined kernel/OS specifically designed for gamers. All it would load up are the absolute bare necessities to run your games. Nothing else. Streamlined RAM interface and the works. Argh!

Hell, someone should do it anyway. That would rock.

Too bad this is only a hypothetical situation.

Jammrock

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Athlon 650, Biostar board, 128 MB PC133 (Crucial), G400 32 MB DH, SB Live! w/ Digital I/O, 10/100 NIC, lots of case fans, etc...

[Bursar]

What I'd be tempted to do is to move the whole operation overseas somewhere.

Find a nice country and start again. Maybe there would be some further legal actions taken against Microsoft, but it would be a hell of a blow to the US economy. If the government thinks that they are going to lose all those lovely tax dollars (along with however many people suddenly becoming unemployed), then I'm sure MS will get a more favourable outlook in the current court case.

I don't think it is in anyones interest for MS to shut down (despite what some people say, I think they are good for the industry as a whole), and I doubt they would contemplate it.

But a move to another country could be enogh to convince the US government and everyone else who beats on MS that maybe they shouldn't be so tough on them after all.