Microsoft Charging $90 for .NET Undermines Huge Market Compelling The Use of

[Guest clintonG]

Microsoft Charging $90 for .NET Undermines Huge Market Compelling The Use of

Linux! [2]

 

Anybody with eyes sight can see "digital signage" emerging as a "display

device platform" and a HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR DEVELOPERS as the display device

platform emerges and people understand the many many opportunities now

available to them. Typical current digital signage implementations utilize

larger LCD displays with project costs in the many thousands of dollars.

 

Who can argue with the facts as anybody can observe?

 

Go into any of the thousands of taverns, mom and pop restaurant or coffee

shop in any regional urban locale and you'll never ever see them using large

format LCD displays for anything. Why? The initial price remains out of

reach and they all still have their heads stuck up the backside of the

fascist TV broadcasting oligopoly.

 

HOWEVER: every small business owner I have talked to over the past six

months --every one-- understands VARs and small business integrators with

web development skills can easily convert their TVs from overhead into

revenue generating platforms. So what has happened as a result?

 

Many VARs and small business integrators (like yours truly) have tried to

start on the other end of the "signage" spectrum with the smaller form

factor called a "digital photo frame." The digital photo frame is the form

factor being marketed for displaying photos of grandma. What? Yes, the same

form factor the retail big box store managers I have interviewed tell me

they can't keep in stock at Christmas time. In other words, bingo!

 

With initial acquisition costs starting as low as $59.95 the 5.6" and up LCD

form factors can be loaded and reloaded with advertising, product

announcements or menu items and hung on walls or displayed throughout any

small business and easily and inexpensively used for commercial purposes.

What are the costs to scale? A wall outlet! Furthermore, the OEM frame

vendors have recognized this. The more astute OEM frame vendors have been

releasing wireless units which can be managed remotely to enable their

devices to be deployed for commerce.

 

So what does Microsoft do? They dress up Windows Embedded XP with .NET which

was the right thing to do of course and throw it over the wall to the

Microsoft marketing morons who rebrand it as Windows Embedded Standard [1]

(Standard? implying what?) but in so doing instantly destroyed the emerging

display platform market driving all business to Linux by imposing a license

fee of $90 PER UNIT!

 

The license for Windows Embedded is now more than the hardware it runs on!

As a developer I can accept and handle the $995 developer license fee but

$90 PER UNIT IS INSANITY.

 

After six months of research and talking to OEM frame vendors EVERY DAMN ONE

OF THEM IS DUMPING MICROSOFT AND GOING TO LINUX. EVERY ONE I HAVE TALKED TO.

I AM IN TEARS.

 

Thank You Microsoft for destroying another huge market opportunity and

ensuring the many small VARs and integrators DUMB ENOUGH TO STAY LOYAL TO

WINDOWS will not be able to compete in what is emerging before our very eyes

as the next HUGE opportunity.

 

<%= Clinton Gallagher

 

[1]

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/embedded/products/westandard/default.mspx

[2] I wouldn't be blasting this everywhere if I didn't consider it so

critically important for all businesses and their employees supporting the

Windows platform to hear about and come to understand how your business

opportunities are once again being undermined by these Microsoft fools who

are so out of touch with reality it is stupefying.