@jessepollard -
HTML isn't a platform - it's a simple page layout schema.
Java isn't a platform - it's a programming language & runtime engine.
Libc isn't a platform - it's the C runtime library.
If you want to compare Microsoft's platforms, compare Windows NT and all successors (i.e. 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8 along with their server variants) to GNU-Linux (HEAVILY derived from UNIX), BSD, OpenBSD (HEAVILY derived from UNIX), FreeBSD (HEAVILY derived from UNIX), OSX (HEAVILY derived from UNIX & incorporating NeXTStep).
Out of those, which was the only brand new OS architecture created since 1989? NT.
While it's true that Microsoft has had remarkable success in turning once bleeding-edge technology into tools and products that the general unwashed masses can not only use, but flourish with, is this such a bad thing?
SQL Server was infinitely easier to use than Oracle, DB/2, etc. were at the time and delivered great results for most users. Exchange was infinitely easier to scale, deploy, manage and use than cc:Mail, Vines, Notes and Lantastic. Same for ActiveDirectory. Same for Office. Same for Windows.
THAT is why Microsoft succeeded in putting a computer on every desk and in every home.
Discussion on:
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