>As a developer who still has to work very hard to forgive MS for all the pain IE6 put me through a decade ago, this grates on my ears, even though I understand that it might be true in the abstract.
Yes, Active X, Windows, Java etc, and god knows how many awful things they did I cant remember them all. But years later Bill Gate decide to donate his wealth to good cause. Not only is this not a PR / Marketing Stunt, he is actually using his time and energy running it. That alone halves whatever hatred I have had.
Ever since they lost the Smartphone OS race ( if you consider they were even part of it ), I don't consider M$ a monopoly or threat any more.
And given the amount of Good things they have done since new CEO took helm, WSL, and now WSL2, VS Code, .Net Fully Open Sources with MIT license, ditching IE ( God that feels good ) , Direct X RT, along with lots of Research put out, I think it is worth reevaluating that hatred against M$ we once had.
We have no lasting friends, no lasting enemies, only lasting interests.
Back in the 80s, IBM was evil, Apple and Microsoft were good. I have an "I HATE IBM" badge from a very early computer show.
MS was mainly known for its languages and its apps, more than the OS. IBM PCs still came with CP/M or PCDOS (MSDOS).
Then when Windows 3 came out, MS started to act like IBM but on steroids, thinking they owned the "stack" (as it was). OS/2 was the last attempt to extract the "PC compatible" world from the Windows domination.
Then IE6 and ActiveX ensconced MS in the enterprise. What used to be "you won't get fired for buying IBM" became "you won't get fired for buying MS because there's no choice".
The onset of the web and competitors in MS's dominant space (well except for apps, Office still rules the world) and the demise of the Ballmer years (especially the death of their mobile/phone ecology) means that MS is now actually doing what IBM did about 15 years ago when they adopted Linux.
Microsoft started acting like IBM from the moment the DOS licensing was agreed with IBM. Incredibly naive on IBM's part, or perhaps they simply expected to sell so few machines it wouldn't matter. After all the first PC was deliberately crippled to stay away from more expensive IBM kit.
MS were acting like mini IBM throughout the 80s, and before the mid 80s had very much gained a negative reputation globally. It was against Microsoft, not IBM, that was the usual target of complaint when the first AT clones were coming out - 84? 85? I think Windows 1 was about the same time. Certainly enough of a reputation to be amazed they were still collaborating with IBM to produce the first OS/2, again around the mid 80s.
A large part of that in the late 1970's IBM was under anti-trust investigation. They had to make some changes in behavior to prevent bad results. Much of the PC would have been different/closed if IBM wasn't afraid of what lawyers would do.
When you have that much money it isn't possible to donate it all at once.
Fraud in charities is a real thing. There are a lot of "charities" that do some good work, but primary exist for the benefit for the benefit of someone. Often the primary purpose is to hide bribes: the CEO's spouse is a high government official. It is very easy to get mess up in such a charity and end up not doing well with your money.
The other problem is 90B is to much money for any charity to handle at once. Any charitable program that has a lasting (and thus useful) impact will take time. Even if the charity sets up a trust, there is nothing to stop the CEO from raiding that trust in latter years. Several charities started good, but over time have slowly - and legally - morphed into something that is very different from what the founders intended.
Staying in charge of his money is the best way to ensure that it is used well.
Yes, Active X, Windows, Java etc, and god knows how many awful things they did I cant remember them all. But years later Bill Gate decide to donate his wealth to good cause. Not only is this not a PR / Marketing Stunt, he is actually using his time and energy running it. That alone halves whatever hatred I have had.
Ever since they lost the Smartphone OS race ( if you consider they were even part of it ), I don't consider M$ a monopoly or threat any more.
And given the amount of Good things they have done since new CEO took helm, WSL, and now WSL2, VS Code, .Net Fully Open Sources with MIT license, ditching IE ( God that feels good ) , Direct X RT, along with lots of Research put out, I think it is worth reevaluating that hatred against M$ we once had.
We have no lasting friends, no lasting enemies, only lasting interests.