Throughout his 12 volume study of the rise and decline of civilizations, Arnold Toynbee spent considerable time revealing examples whereby either governments, tribal chiefs, Church’s, political leaders or companies become intractable monolithic institutions both unable and unwilling to anticipate the social, political impact of new emerging technologies. Like all archaic attempts at preservation, they eventually are overcome by becoming enormities or suffer breakdown from revolution.
Microsoft has repeated the cycle demonstrated by Toynbee in preserving a status through the arbitrary use of an ephemeral technique, namely: Windows.
Let me explain.
Microsoft has done more to kill entrepreneurship in the computer industry than any other company in history. Consider the companies that brought truly innovative products to market only to see them killed by Microsoft’s near monopoly power. Examples are not limited to Word Perfect, Lotus 123 and Netscape. Their were similar yet unsuccessful attempts to copycat products like Zune, Windows Mobile, Xbox and Bing.
Where is Microsoft creating value?
Microsoft has not created an innovative product since Windows, which follows Apple’s graphical user interface.
Not only does Microsoft continue to copy and kill, it introduces poor products in its monopoly lines. We are witnessing the willing decline of a formidable institution that is permanently invested in preserving its status quo at the expense of GROWTH.
Such are the perils of specialization.
William Holland
William Holland 