Post by mackApple's free development tools will only result in fewer choices for
developers. Microsoft understands this. Apple forgot.
Microsoft understands the logic of fewer choices and embraces it. To
quote JoelOnSoftware.com:
<http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/APIWar.html>
"The logical conclusion of this is that if you're trying to sell
operating systems, the most important thing to do is make software
developers want to develop software for your operating system. That's
why Steve Ballmer was jumping around the stage shouting "Developers,
developers, developers, developers."
<http://www.ntk.net/ballmer/mirrors.html> It's so important for
Microsoft that the only reason they don't outright give away development
tools for Windows is because they don't want to inadvertently cut off
the oxygen to competitive development tools vendors (well, those that
are left) because having a variety of development tools available for
their platform makes it that much more attractive to developers. But
they really want to give away the development tools. Through their
Empower ISV program
<http://members.microsoft.com/partner/competency/isvcomp/empower/default.
aspx> you can get five complete sets of MSDN Universal (otherwise known
as "basically every Microsoft product except Flight Simulator") for
about $375. Command line compilers for the .NET languages are included
with the free .NET runtime... also free. The C++ compiler is now free.
<http://msdn.microsoft.com/visualc/vctoolkit2003/> Anything to encourage
developers to build for the .NET platform, and holding just short of
wiping out companies like Borland."
My comment: there is nothing inadvertent about it.