"...with microsoft I've never lost the feeling that they still don't get that they were in the wrong and are still just trying to dance their way around the real problems without admitting that they were wrong and bettering their ways."
Care to elaborate? I still do not understand some of the over generalized MS bashing, especially when it comes to software development. From my experience, they have had some of the best tools and support over the years. Perfect? No way. Bloated libraries? Hell yeah, but only use parts that you need. Able to get the job done? Yes.
[I primarily used their tools when I worked for a couple of videogame studios and at university - currently using both open source and MS tools and languages]
They could be making the very best tools in the world, for all I know they are. But the toolmaker in question has a bit of a history and I haven't forgotten that just yet: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Linux-and-Open-Source/BayStar-Confi... (sorry for the ads on that page), they just couldn't help not playing nice.
Then there was netscape, the media player issue, a bunch of FUD to various governments to get them to extend their lock-in rather than to go with open source and a series of briberies http://slashdot.org/articles/06/12/27/1423234.shtml and so on.
The tools and their quality don't enter in to it, it's the corporate conduct that I have a problem with.
Care to elaborate? I still do not understand some of the over generalized MS bashing, especially when it comes to software development. From my experience, they have had some of the best tools and support over the years. Perfect? No way. Bloated libraries? Hell yeah, but only use parts that you need. Able to get the job done? Yes.
[I primarily used their tools when I worked for a couple of videogame studios and at university - currently using both open source and MS tools and languages]