Thanks to BR for this
link.
“Microsoft is crying wolf again. Every year the company warns
that revenues are about to slow down, and every quarter revenues
just keep roaring along. But in a couple of years, the wolf may
actually be at the door.”
“By 2002, say industry analysts, technologies just now rearing
their heads will mature, provide alternatives to Microsoft’s
Windows hegemony and hamper the Redmond, Wash., company’s ability
to grow at 30% per years–the way it has through most of this
decade. And that could spell real trouble for the software giant,
because the value of its stock depends largely on its top line
growth.”
“The new stuff that could conspire to burst Bill Gates’
bubble:”
“* Linux. Although it’s still beneath the radar as a competitor
to Windows NT, the lean, open-source, Unix-based operating system
is starting to attract the attention of developers, who are
creating applications and utilities for it. Within a couple of
years, it could put a major dent in Microsoft sales, slowing what
right now is the company’s fastest growing revenue generator. And
Linux also could * challenge Windows 98– or whatever they’re
calling it two years from now–on the desktop. As the graphical
user interfaces for Linux become more practical, consumers, small
businesses and even big corporations may opt for PCs pre-loaded
with Linux from companies such as Red Hat, and applications like
the upcoming WordPerfect Office for Linux from Corel…”