Is Microsoft a monopoly? If so, why does it matter?

[ChichiriMuyo]

Domicinator said:

halil23 said:
The first question shouldn't be asked at all, everyone knows M$ is a monopoly (theft)!
The second question is if you really care about video games then you wouldn't want M$ in video games business, a $1000aud OS should give you an idea what would happen if M$ took over video game business. Hence why every true gamer should boycott them, I'm one of those proud M$ boycott fella.

Happy gaming!

 

1.  No, every moron conpiracy theorist out there THINKS Microsoft is a monopoly.  Every educated person who knows what a monopoly actually is knows that Microsoft is NOT a monopoly. 

2.  Yes, boycott Microsoft.  So basically you're boycotting almost the entire genre of PC gaming as well as an entire half of the HD console generation.  All because of your misinterpretation of the word "monopoly".  Sony is every bit as evil of a company as Microsoft is.  Shouldn't you boycott them too?  How soon we forget that a couple of years ago Sony was trying to slip rootkits on to our PCs by adding them to all audio CDs or that they charge such a high premium for their latest console because they're trying to shove BluRay down everyone's throat.  Shouldn't we just boycott them too?  How about Nintendo who has drastically decreased the manufacturing cost of the Wii, yet still will not lower the price one cent. 

3.  But let's get back to the monopoly thing for a moment.  Have you noticed at all that Apple is digging more into Microsoft's market share these days?  Have you noticed all the companies switching over to Linux to save money on licensing?  Have you noticed that Microsoft is putting on a pretty aggressive Apple-targeted marketing campaign right now in order to finally address those BS "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" commercials?  If Microsoft was a monopoly, none of this would be going on. 

You can "boycott" whatever you want for whatever stupid reason you want, but at least understand what you're boycotting first.  I truly believe that 95% of all boycotts are unfounded and that about 99% of all INTERNET boycotts are completely pointless and baseless.  Especially these "army of one" boycotts like "Boycott ***** because they didn't give a good review to a game I like!!"

Please.

 

1 - http://www.investorwords.com/3112/monopoly.html

By definition, because they own the vast majority of their market and there are barriers to entry, they are a monopoly.  I'm kinda curious about the little bit of education you have gotten.

2 - The fact that you think that you think "almost the entire genre of PC gaming" is dependant upon windows shows that a) you really don't know what you're talking about and b) MS has a very strong monopoly.  If MS wasn't ever present in the PC world, you'd realize that linux users have access to WINE and that makes a very significant portion of games playable without windows.

Also, how is Sony in the same lot as MS?  You call them evil, showing for a third time how clueless you are, but what does that really even mean here?  Nothing.  MS controls 95% of the OS market, the closest Sony has ever come is controling 75% of the console market (which is far, far less than 75% of the video game market due to handhelds and PCs).  They've never had a monopoly on anything and they haven't been guilty of anti-trust on more occasions than one can count.  MS has, and they've harmed the consumer in doing so.

3 - Yeah, MS has gone from 97% of the OS market to 95%.  That's so huge.  And a lot of those Apples are running Windows, it's actually linux that is really making up that 2% difference.