Shame on you, Microsoft...

I was just finishing up lunch here and browsing through the news stories, when I see THIS little gem. I'm pretty dumbfounded.

Now, before anyone can come down on us, I don't hate Microsoft. I don't like their business tactics very often and hell will freeze over before you'll actually get a human-being on the phone if something is wrong. But most of all, over the past few years, I've really seen them acting like the bully of the school yard, taking all the other kid's toys away. They are greedy - and underhanded. I believe in competition - good, healthy competition. This, well... this is rough.

Last year, Microsoft sent me their Small Business Accounting software - for free. They also sent me their full Office suite along with it - for free. Apparently, it went out to a good many bookkeeping and number-nerds. I installed, I tried it, I was amazed at what a complete rip off of Intuit's QuickBooks it seemed to be. I uninstalled it.

Now, I'm not much of a QuickBooks fan either. I use it because it's what my client's like and - let's face it - everyone pretty much uses QuickBooks. The software itself is fine, it's the whole idea of "anyone can do accounting with this software," that they use in their marketing - very misleading and I get a good many clients that have screwed it up "doing it themselves" -- anyway, I'm off the subject here...

Fast forward to this year... Microsoft is giving away the express version of their accounting software to EVERYONE. Downloadable. For free.

Let me say that again. You can get FREE software from Microsoft. Real software. (and no, I'm not linking to it, google it if you must have it)

(the professional version, you have to buy)

Huh. Then it hit me...

They really are going after Intuit HARD. And that, folks, makes me angry. I don't think that Microsoft can affect Intuit that badly, too many bookkeeping and accounting folks are die-hard QuickBooks users. But I'm supremely bothered that not only did Microsoft rip off the look of QuickBooks, they are now trying to get all of their clients by giving them something for free.

Doesn't sound like good healthy competition to me...

Remember, just my opinion... ;)