Amazon: Linux saved us millions

[jc at trillian.mit.edu (John Chambers)]

| I agrre!!!!
| MS windows is the worse software out there now... but the most marketed..=
| for the most dummys that belive in marketing not in technology.

I've seen it described in a less emotional manner, as an illustration
of  an  important economic fact:  Given a shortage of money, there is
usually  a  tradeoff  between  investing  in  a  better  product  and
investing  in  a marketing campaign.  Microsoft is an illustration of
one of the extremes of this tradeoff.  They've shown what can be done
if  you don't worry at all about quality, but put all your money into
marketing.

Recently, they've also illustrated  that  "marketing"  includes  such
things  as political contributions.  They contributed heavily to both
sides in the recent American elections, and as payoff they're  having
the  Justice Dept's lawsuit withdrawn, after a judicious wait so that
most people won't see the connection.

John "What, me cynical?" Chambers