Joel: Microsoft lost backwards-compatibility

[Virtual Coder]

"Much as professional programmers sneer at the Basic programming language, market research unambiguously showed that about 2/3rds of the kinds of accidental programmers who develop macros preferred Basic to other languages and perceived it to be easy." "In essence, in addition to giving Excel users a nice programming language, Microsoft was building a highly strategic barrier to entry, and locking in Excel users, especially corporate users who are most likely to build large systems based on macros." "But what's really interesting about this story is how Microsoft has managed to hoist itself by its own petard. By locking in users and then not supporting their own lock-in features" "When Microsoft lost the backwards-compatibility religion that had served them so well in the past, they threatened three of their most important businesses (Office, Windows, and Basic), businesses which are highly dependent on upgrade revenues." http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2007/04/25.html[^]

[Marc Clifton]

The premise is interesting, but I think the conclusion is faulty. Users are left with five choices: 1. Avoid upgrading as long as possible 2. Upgrade and bite the non-backward compatibility bullet 3. Farm out the conversion 4. Switch to a different product and learn everything over 5. Retire Option 1 is reasonable for a while, but then becomes difficult to avoid due to market, career, and peer pressure. Option 2 therefore becomes more likely. Option 3 is probably the result. Option 4 is unreasonable. Option 5 is what happens eventually anyways. Which brings me to my final point, that Joel's conclusion is faulty because there is a constant tide of new business folks and other users entering into their shiny new careers. They want to prove themselves. They want to use the new technologies. They are Microsoft evangelists whether they know it or not. And those in the 1-5 category fear them, as they create market, career, and peer pressure. And so Microsoft's risk is actually very small. Upgrades WILL happen. Both people and technologies. Marc

Thyme In The Country
Interacx

People are just notoriously impossible. --DavidCrow
There's NO excuse for not commenting your code. -- John Simmons / outlaw programmer
People who say that they will refactor their code later to make it "good" don't understand refactoring, nor the art and craft of programming. -- Josh Smith

[Judah Gabriel Himango]

It seems there's a warm spot in Joel's heart for Visual Basic [script|for applications]. :~

Tech, life, family, faith: Give me a visit. I'm currently blogging about: Virginia Tech Shootings, Guns, and Politics The apostle Paul, modernly speaking: Epistles of Paul Judah Himango

[Matt Newman]

And why should I care what this joel guy says? Sounds like an Armchair quarterback.

Matt Newman

[Chris Austin]

Yeah, sometimes he is pretty insightful since he's been there and done it. But other times I think he is like everyone else with a blog, sometimes you get something useful most of the times not.

My Blog A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. - -Lazarus Long

[Ed Gadziemski]

You mean there's an upgraded version of Office 97?

[Luis Alonso Ramos]

I heard Office 2000 just entered its beta 2. :)

Luis Alonso Ramos Intelectix Chihuahua, Mexico

Not much here: My CP Blog!

[NormDroid]

:-D

.net is a box of never ending treasures, every day I get find another gem.