Web apps and services on all platforms
Scoble has a 12-point list from Ross – the 12 reasons Web 2.0 entrepreneurs aren’t using Microsoft’s stuff:
7) On clients, they want to choose the highest-reach platforms. That doesn’t mean a Windows app. Or even an app that runs only in IE. It must run on every variant of Linux and Macintosh too.
In my opinion, this alone is good enough reason.
I’m so tired of Microsoft making non-standard stuff that doesn’t work in other browser, and on other OSes. One of the worst examples is Microsoft’s own IE 5 browser for Macintosh, that has msn.com as the default homepage. But what happens when you try to msn.com with a Mac? Doesn’t work.
From Tuaw.com:
They’ve made a change to http://www.msn.com that crashes Internet Explorer 5 for the Macintosh. Yup, that’s right…Microsoft has changed the coding on the default homepage for their IE5 browser on the Mac that crashes the very browser in question. And it gets worse. Since the only easy way to change the default homepage in IE5 is to do it in the browser itself (in the Preferences) and the browser is crashing with a spinning beachball of death (SBOD) when you launch it, there’s now a classic Catch-22. How can users change the homepage to something else if you have to do it in the browser, but the browser crashes loading the page?
Why can’t Microsoft code msn.com so that every browser that follows standards can use it without problems?
Now Microsoft is planning a new service called Windows Live. Will this work on other platforms? I don’t think so. Many people use Windows at work and Mac at home. Or the opposite. Or Linux at work and Windows at home. As the biggest player in the field, Microsoft should make it possible for people to use other OSes on their pages and services.
By making services uncomaptible with other OSes, Microsoft forces people over to their platform. Because people who are not as nerd-like as many bloggers, don’t want trouble. They just want to things that works. Whichever computer they’re sitting at.
Update: I might be wrong (and it would be so nice if I were!): They are trying.
Update2: Also see the Live.com blog at Spaces.
Update3:: Russell Beattie thinks Windows Live is Monoploy 4.0. And man, is that powerpoint behind Bill Gates ugly. Do they even have designers at Microsoft?!? Looks like some car sales person’s first slide after using Powerpoint for… 30 minutes. And what’s with that old iMac down in the right corner? Oh, I see. It’s there to fit the excellent blue color scheme…
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
