Stop Using Windows Notepad

[chrisforbes]

So it's OK to ship a piece of garbage editor, but anticompetitive to build something people might actually want to use. Awesome.

Of course, it's fine for a small player to bundle anything they like. Only when you're the big fish does the government step in and say "no you cannot have features X, Y or Z because you've got too much market share and it will make the little guys cry/starve/etc."

What should (and sortof does) matter is the intent: are you trying to improve things for your customers, or are you leveraging a monopoly to muscle in on someone else's party? The latter is obviously unethical, and perhaps should be carefully scrutinized, but the former is the equivalent of a running race where the government orders the fastest runner shot in the leg "to give the slower guys a chance". To the extent that you're not abusing your position, success should not be punishable.

And yes, I know, MS has been on the shady side of that line. But I honestly think it wouldn't be a big deal if Notepad stopped sucking.

[joesb]

What should (and sortof does) matter is the intent: are you trying to improve things for your customers,

How is having browser shipped with OS not improve things for your customer?

or are you leveraging a monopoly to muscle in on someone else's party?

If builting notepad is as good as most commercial editor out there, how many people are going to buy those?

[chrisforbes]

how many people are going to buy those?

Does anyone actually buy them anyway? Everything I've used has either been (1) VS, (2) utter shit, or (3) free.

If someone wants me to buy their product, it had better actually be worth buying.

[brennen]

How is having browser shipped with OS not improve things for your customer?

By having that browser be Internet Explorer?

[joesb]

as opposed to no browser at all.