Hi Jerry and John,

I am a CPA that has a small client base. I have also developed an accounting application that I hope will generate revenue in the not to distant future. I would like to switch my priorities in favor of providing an accounting application as opposed to financial statement/tax return preparation. I run an apache web server to host my web site and also use it as a mail server. I'm not into computer consulting, but this may change in the future.

As an example of Microsoft's influence throught its control of the desktop and browser software follows. There is a emerging standard that would allow me to brand my application with special software that would guarantee anyone that downloaded my app that it was free of alterations or that it had been replace by a virus masquaradeing under the name of my app. If I paid $400.00 dollars for the signature software, anyone downloading my app would receive a message that Microsoft vouches for the security of the application. This only works for IE. If I want a signature that works with Netscape, I would have to pay Netscapes version of the signature software.
To make matters worse, the authentication does not work with web server other the IIS. Apache confronted Microsoft with the problem stating that it was a bug in the Microsoft's software. Microsoft noted the problem posed no immediate threat to any data and any fix to the problem would be so pioritised.

This provides a stong motivation for me to switch from an apache web server to IIS, so I could provide a signature in my software distribution.

Also, Microsoft is so big that it has numerous conflicts of interest with itself. Consider another really bizarre example. Microsoft sells software to developers. The develpers go out and write accounting application in C, C++, VB, J+, .net, VFP, etc. and Microsoft benefit from this relationship. Then Microsoft turns around and Markets Great Plains, it own accouonting application, that directly competes with its own software development commuity. There is something terribly worng with this picture.