[Moonman62]

Microsoft did not write the original Dos. They purchased at some rediculous price from someone else. They got the idea for windows from someone else too. They stole most of the good features in IE from Netscape. So Microsoft is known for not having original ideas.

Maybe so, but the one good thing Microsoft did was establish fairly open software and hardware standards that allowed for explosive growth of the PC market, which eventually led to the internet market. As a comparison look at what IBM did with the PS/2 and Microchannel. Or Apple if you like.

[Knitebane]

Maybe so, but the one good thing Microsoft did was establish fairly open software and hardware standards that allowed for explosive growth of the PC market, which eventually led to the internet market.

You are correct as to the cause and effect, you just have the wrong company in mind.

IBM established the fairly open software and hardware specifications. They later changed their minds with MCA, but the original open specification was an IBM thing. Microsoft had nothing to do with it.

And when IBM dropped the ball by trying the MCA mess, Phoenix, Compaq and Intel were right there to pick it up and run with it. And again, Microsoft had nothing to do with it.

About Apple, I agree with you. That's why I won't buy an Apple. I dumped Microsoft to get away from a proprietary, closed software platform. Why jump onto a closed, proprietary hardware platform instead?