Another reason not to use IE

Just look here.

It appears IE users were safe for only 7 days, a horrendous 98 % of 2004. If they had their patches installed as soon as they were available that is. So more than likely the IE users were safe probably < style="font-weight: bold;">Why would it take so long for Microsoft to patch their bugs?

Here are a few reasons why I think this can happen. (And by no means do I think this list complete.)

a. Not enough employees
b. Poor design in products leading to complicated patches
c. Poor management not lead to processes that allow for speedy iterations

I think the reason is a, b, and c. I think they cannot compete with the number of developers on open source projects patching their products. I think that some of the designs in Microsoft products are poorly designed, and also unnecessarily backwards compatible. I also think there is a good reason to believe there is poor management going on at Microsoft.

I don't have to look at late bug fixes alone as a reason to believe a, b, and c. I look to slipped shipping dates for most core Microsoft applications. I look to the fact they are constantly having to purchase companies to add innovation. I look to the fact that when they announce new products it produces a whimper. I look to the fact that their reputation is that of a company that charges too much for too little.