Proof! M$ Doesn't Care About Customers.

Computerworld's online editorial director, Scot Finnie recently opined that the basic problem with Microsoft's new operating system Vista is Microsoft's changing focus. Finnie said, "one thing Microsoft had going for it during its rise was its exceptional customer focus. It listened to end users, as well as the press and analysts who represented them. It made decisions based on the needs of small and midtier businesses, instead of just its thousand or so largest enterprise customers...Microsoft wanted to be the very best at serving users, and its employees believed in that goal."

Finnie goes on to say it seems Microsoft now makes many of its decisions based on two things:

"1. Avoiding negative publicity (especially about security and software quality)

2. Making sure the largest enterprise customers are happy"

By way of proof, he points to such Vista "features" as its heavy-handed security features, brilliantly spoofed in Apple's recent Mac/PC commercial with the Allow/Cancel security guy, its new restrictions on installing Vista as an upgrade and its DRM implementation that was clearly implemented for the benefit of the movie studios rather than the needs or convenience of Vista users.

This morning, CNET carried an interview with MS Entertainment and Devices unit President Robbie Bach. In the interview, Bach basically what Finnie wrote in his column. CNET asked Bach about Steve Jobs' recent call for the record companies to do away with requiring DRM for online music sales. Here's a snippet from the interview:

CNET: I'd be remiss if I didn't ask your thoughts about Steve Jobs' letter. Is it time for an end to digital rights management?
Bach: "Our job really is to provide the tools and the technology that we get requested from our operator partners and from our media and content partners. I don't have a strong view about DRM, other than when people ask for it, we're going to do a great job implementing it and driving it.

The only people who ultimately get to opine on that are the people who are the content owners themselves. We're huge believers and will always be believers in protecting intellectual property. DRM is certainly one of those ways to protect that intellectual property. You are going to see us continue to do great work on DRM, because we think it is going to be a part of the landscape going forward."

The italics are mine. Notice, he didn't say anything about providing tools and technology requested by their customers. Their "operator partners" and "media and content partners" are driving their offerings and how they are implemented. It seems to be part of the accelerating trend in the U.S. to turn Americans into consumers. The Corporatocracy that the U.S. has become isn't satisfied to just have the greatest consumer culture that has ever existed on the planet. They want to dictate how consumers use the products they purchase. And they're succeeding.