Re: Free-Market Economics

From: Max More (maxmore@primenet.com)
Date: Fri Jul 11 1997 - 09:10:53 MDT


At 05:56 PM 7/10/97 PDT, Bobby wrote:
>
>You make a very good point. However, those who have built a better
>mousetrap invariably get bought out by Microsoft. So little of what
>they have actually created has been orginal or creative. They have
>advanced only to the degree necessary to maintain their market dominance
>- which isn't much.

Once again I find myself in the untrendy position of defending Microsoft! I
note that while most companies are slashing research budgets, Microsoft has
recently *tripled* their budget for basic research. They have hired a large
number of exceedingly smart people, especially in regard to advanced
graphics software.

Whatever truth there was a few years ago in the view that Microsoft was not
creative (a view that I've found exaggerated) has become ever less true
over the last few years. In the years to come, as results appear from their
labs, I think even the Microsoft haters will have to change their views.

It's Apple that rested on its laurels while Microsoft relentlessly caught
up then, in many areas, overtook. I don't believe it's realistic to blame
all of Apple's woes on marketing. I suspect their cultish approach allowed
them to get lazy. While Apple was busy enjoying being cool, Microsoft was
busy attracting intelligent people and putting them to work at maximum
efficiency.

Okay, go ahead, call me a corporate lackey.

Max

Max More, Ph.D.
more@extropy.org
http://www.primenet.com/~maxmore
President, Extropy Institute: exi-info@extropy.org, http://www.extropy.org
EXTRO 3 CONFERENCE on the future: http://www.extropy.org/extro3.htm



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