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Why Microsoft is like McDonald's
There's a conspiracy theory waiting to happen here, I swear...
- Both companies built their fortunes on products developed by someone else (QDOS and the McDonald brothers' burgers);
- Both have annoying mascots (Clippit; Ronald McDonald);
- Both make products with features nobody wants ("You look like you're writing a letter"; pickles*);
- Both have taken a relatively lean recipe and created a version with twice the fat (Internet Explorer; French fries);
- Both tailor their creations to local markets while still retaining their universal flavour (different language editions of Office; the McOz/KiwiBurger/etc.);
- Both have taken freely-available and much-loved recipes and twisted them to their own ends (Java/JavaScript/HTML; apple pie);
- Both seek complete and utter domination of their markets;
- Both enjoy near-complete-and-utter domination of their markets;
- Both induce a vague sense of guilt among many of their customers;
- Both have successfully out-competed a range of cheaper, more nutritious alternatives that are better for you.
*Nobody outside North America, that is.
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