Reply #177: That's the entire point

[cyborg_jim]

They may be adept at branding, marketing and labelling but the relationship you implied that the amount of money MS has made is directly proportional to the advancements in technology they have enabled.

Never forget that the goal of profit driven companies is profit - the basic point that people seem to forget with capitalism is that the product/service is merely a means to an end. R&D is expensive. MS has mostly stagnated the computer industry rather than cause a flourish of advancement.

The capital reward MS has got has mostly been from playing the capitalist game. The simple fact is that when you get to a certain mass it's just a lot easier to do that then to try and compete 'honestly'.