The first time I learned about that partnership I thought it looked weird from the get go.

I told a friend I nominated him for developing the best software of the year. I never did it but I told him just to see his reaction. He didn't say a word but his gesture said a lot. You know the move somebody makes when he wants to strangle someone <g>

I'm sure MS figured out that many would be scared by their tactics. But they also probably figured out that some would react by thinking "Yeah cool our software will be demoed by MS. MS would never do anything to hurt our business. And sooner than later we'll be rich wooohoooo."

>>Nothing monopolistic in Microsoft stopping work on VFP. MS would be the same product categories with or without VFP.
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>Actually the game is the same for other users of Microsoft's development tools. Just imagine that for a while you have their support and even showcase your app in some partnership program or whatever (such things existed, but I have a knack for never knowing exactly what buzzwords were de rigeur in Redmond at the time, or today)... and then the new generation of the tools comes out. You invest a considerable sum of money on buying these tools - server this and management that, builder this and that sharp, drawback one. You invest in learning - your best guys invest a lot of time and effort to just learn how to hit the same nails with the new hammer, drawback two. You then start your months of migration of your product - drawback three, you don't develop new stuff, not much, you are migrating, hoping that once you get at the other end, you'll have everything done with the shiny new tool which will make your team so much more productive, and as a plus, your product will look sexier and
>sell better.
>
>Then, just a few miles before the goal, you discover that M$ has a product competing with yours. They didn't have to migrate or learn. They had the knowledge from the get go, and they saw your app - they showcased it, remember? You actually had to prove it was a big success to have it showcased, so you've done their marketing research for them before even starting down this path.
>
>Nice system, though. You and Microsoft have the same chances in the market. Except they can afford to sell their competitor to your product for peanuts, until you're left with just enough to buy a rope.