Why good development tools are not in Microsoft's best interest
In this article I express my viewpoint as to why it is not in Microsoft's best interest to produce good development tools. Firstly the revenue Microsoft receives from development tools is small compared to the mainstream software they write, eg Windows 95, Microsoft Office etc. So why are they interested in providing the tools to make the competition more competitive? The type of applications Microsoft produce is in direct competition with many developers, so why would Microsoft want to make those developers' lives easier by providing great development tools? The answer is a) they don't and b) when they eventually do manage to bring out great development tools it will only be in an effort to crush the competition. Once they have destroyed the competition, they will once again continue producing mediocre development tools which will just be good enough to prevent anyone from entering the market (after all, who wants to go up against Microsoft?). Well, you might say the companies like Borland are in the same boat as Microsoft and have the same objectives. I'm sure Borland would love to have complete control of the development tools market (I would love it too), but 90% of developers do not compete with Borland as writing development tools is a very specialized area. Most developers write applications for everyday users, applications which compete directly with 90% of Microsoft's market. I hope you understand my reasoning and don't just take it as another attack on Microsoft.
A final word about development tools. I love Borland products. I have used them all my life and continue to feel that they are the best in the market. However I wish to warn developers against becoming too emotionally attached to certain tools and/or companies. Always keep your eyes open for new development tools. If a tool comes out that will give you the advantage, don't be a stubborn ass who sticks to his old tools/company to the bitter end. Go out and get that tool, so you can be the best you can be. May you always choose the right tool for the right job.
This document was last modified 1 July 1997.