THRESHOLD 門檻 - II

字彙

ecosystem
market share
laugh off the idea
writing is on the wall
doesn't charge
margins
counterweight
a black eye
a Vista-ish flop
to be splintered into


文句

Give Windows away for free?!? What?!? How?!?

That place is where Microsoft is going to have to go if it wants to preserve its Windows ecosystem and market share. And how Microsoft navigate that business model change is going to be telling. The folks in Redmond may laugh off the idea of giving Windows away for free to original equipment manufacturers, but the writing is on the wall. Consider:

Apple doesn't charge for its Mac OS anymore.
Google Chromebooks have become more popular.
PC makers are now adding Android desktop systems because they can customize and probably get better margins.
Price will be king in the PC market and Android and Chromebooks could be counterweight to Microsoft.
Mobile operating systems are driving computing.
Windows 8 was a black eye for Microsoft and it's going to be a challenge to come back from a Vista-ish flop twice.
The PC market is being splintered into multiple operating systems.

解釋

ecosystem  生態

market share  市佔率

laugh off the idea  嘲笑這個想法；一笑置之

writing is on the wall  不祥的預兆；註定要失敗

doesn't charge  不用付費

margins  利潤

counterweight  本來是指可以抗衡的重量，這裡的意思是 "對手"

a black eye  本來指 "黑眼圈"，這裡指 "丟臉的事" 或 "令人失去尊敬的事"

a Vista-ish flop  類似推出 Window Vista 時的慘敗經驗。大概是指當年 Windows XP 的使用者無法認同新版的 Windows Vista，以致不願升級或改換作業系統。

to be splintered into  分裂。這裡指個人電腦作業系統不再以微軟視窗為中心，市場上開始出現了許多不同的新作業系統。