I’ve since seen a few more instances of “Microsoft software isn’t done until competitors won’t run”. I don’t have a nice succinct list, though.
- DOS isn’t done until Lotus won’t run
- IFSHLP.386 and the anti-virus demo
- Windows for crashing work
- Microsoft Word checks the OS
- Windows 95, the impersonator
- Outlook found a design flaw
- Microsoft’s network is the enemy
- ZENworks desktop profile deleted
- iPrint gibberish on startup (2025)
I don’t think I should include the WordPerfect for Windows font problem in the above list. In the above list, Microsoft wrote code to damage their customers who used competitors products. Microsoft tested that code and shipped that code using their monopoly position to customers who were then blindsided by the malevolent code.
The WordPerfect for Windows font problem was different from that. Like the DOS isn’t done until Lotus won’t run problem, WordPerfect and Microsoft had a formal partnership agreement. But Microsoft didn’t ship subverting software in this case. They promised to ship a working API spec for calling a font to be rendered, and then … just kept delaying. While Microsoft Word was getting rewritten to use TrueType, their partners were crippled by not being allowed to know how to call TrueType. So “withholding support” isn’t the same as shipping corrupting software. More details at Ars Technica.