From: "Frank Haber" 

I'm in an apocalyptic mood today.  I call you guys for vaporizing on the
cause of the slowing of the upgrade treadmill, etc.  Why does no one
mention Microsoft's obvious strategy?

1. Start (NT3,1994) with "the first cigarette is free."  Smile
broadly, plead, display openness.

1a. When maturity strikes, functionality is fine, and feature creep passes
from "neat" through "Hmm" to "who needs it?"
-- grease up the thumbscrews. Sue 'em (the lusers).  Insult 'em.  Make 'em
feel inadequate.  Offer expensive
'assurance' that removes the need to think.

2. Find some way to break that which doth not break on its own - software.
Security?  New standards/protocols?  Doesn't really matter.

3. Liberally scatttershot the press and admins with free copies of
CrackCocaine Ultimate, while simultaneously stomping around in your 800 lb.
gorilla suit.  Kill somebody every once in a while, but not too often. 
Fear works best when combined with the ease of being a Good German.

4. Pray that stuff like Google's lame spreadsheet and Yahoo's mostly-OK
calendaring don't gain critical mass, or get radically better soon.

5. (Guessing) Extract that last dollar while defending Gen. Custer with
lawsuits, mergers, acquisitions and Waggener-spin.  Be sure to leave the
field with your winnings before they're upon you with their tomahawks.

(***Turn your sound way down first**, then tell me that this doesn't remind
you of Breughel's demons romping as they feast on our flesh....)

http://technorati.com/search/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2F%3Fv%3DAKtvEgDGkKA

--- BBBS/NT v4.01 Flag-5