Why is it that nobody can compete? I've tried various versions of excel/word clones and none seem to operate as well despite it seeming relatively straightforward
How many different implementations of basic office software do we need? There's no point having hundreds of companies independently building the same thing.
Putting all your eggs into one basket is a bad approach for pretty much anything, particularly when that basket is one that has its own monetary interests as its main motivator.
You want valid alternatives to keep the products offered competitive, and the competitors honest, as entrenched monopolies are rarely conductive to innovation and often extremely opposed to consumer interests.
So while it might not be a pure "MS tax" anymore, in a way there still is a corporate monopoly tax.