[22:55] <michaell> what sun did was this. They built their own kind of microwave, made lots of them, put them in stores all over the country, then gave them away for free. Every other microwave company that didn't have locked-in customers gets hit hard, but demand for the free microwave can't be met and people who already have microwaves that work don't need a new one yet
[22:56] <jarober> what they did is give IBM a stick to use, and then they bent over to get beaten
[22:56] <michaell> every one that didn't have a microwave "because it leaks radiation" suddenly jumps in and grabs one, because it's free
[22:56] <michaell> then IBM comes along and says "We can service your free sub microwave for only $10000"
[22:57] <jarober> heh
[22:57] <michaell> so people turn to sun and say "We didn't pay anything for this microwave and now we have to pay IBM $10000 to fix it when it broke because you used dodgy parts." To which Sun replies, "Can't talk now, building another batch of microwaves to give away."
[22:58] <michaell> So then microsoft comes along and says "Well, how about you buy our microwave at a market reduced price and we also support you, for $1000". So people buy Microsoft microwaves, forgetting all the old microwaves that were only $50 still work just as well.
[22:59] <michaell> That flooding of the market is like walking in to a market place where vendors are trying to sell their wares and pulling out an electromagnetic powered loud speaker and talking over every one, then shutting it off - every ones ears are ringing so no one can sell anything there any more.
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