XPost: comp.os.linux.advocacy, comp.os.os2.advocacy   
   From: theletterk@nomail.spymac.com   
      
   Andrew J. Brehm wrote:   
   > Linønut <=?iso-8859-1?Q?lin=F8nut?=@bone.com> wrote:   
   >   
   >   
   >>Andrew J. Brehm poked his little head through the XP firewall and said:   
   >>   
   >>   
   >>>>No marketing, impossible to get OEM deals due to Microsoft's illegal   
   >>>>business practices, etc.   
   >>>   
   >>>Do you know anybody who tries to buy a computer without Windows and   
   >>>can't?   
   >>   
   >>That's not the point.   
   >   
   >   
   > I believe it is the point. Most people want a Windows computer and can   
   > buy it.   
   They want a Windows system because everyone else gets it by default, and   
   they get it by default because they want it. It's circular reasoning.   
      
   > Those who don't want a Windows computer can buy a computer   
   > without Windows. Whether the supply of Windows computers is greater than   
   > the splly of non-Windows computers doesn't matter, as the supply matches   
   > the demand.   
   This isn't the point. The fact that Microsoft has illegally locked   
   companies into using Windows *to the exclusion of all else* means the   
   market is no longer a level playing field.   
      
   >   
   > If there is demand for non-Windows computer, there will be a supply of   
   > such.   
   People didn't realize they wanted a GPS system in their car back in   
   1990. Did that mean the demand wasn't there? No.   
      
   >   
   >   
   >>A technical user, whether it be of souped-up cars   
   >>or souped-up computers, can always find a path to what he/she wants in a   
   >>niche market.  The average user, even if they know of the niche market,   
   >>do not have the savvy or the desire to work out how to use the   
   >>niche market to their advantage.   
   >   
   >   
   > The average user isn't looking for an incompatible computer. The average   
   > computer needs a random computer to be compatible with the largest   
   > selection of other random computers.   
   GNU/Linux is fully compatible with Windows boxes. But not Windows   
   applications. You can share data and interoperate just fine.   
      
   >   
   >   
   >>The point is that Microsoft has forced all other OS vendors into the   
   >>niche market.   
   >   
   >   
   > The customers have forced all other OS vendors into the niche market.   
   No they haven't. Microsoft illegally forced this. This was proven in a   
   court of law.   
      
   > Operating systems rely on the network effect to become most valuable.   
   > More than one standard is simply not efficient and will be rejected by   
   > most customers.   
   >   
   > Most customers do not want a non-standard PC.   
   Your right--the problem is that Microsoft defined 'standard', not the   
   customers.   
      
   >   
   >   
   >>That way, they can provide the default solution with   
   >>absolutely no competition.   
   >   
   >   
   > That is in the interest of the average customer.   
   No it's not. Their interest lies in open standards, so they can pick   
   whatever the hell they want.   
      
   > In contrast to what the   
   > techical people think, most people are not interested in figuring out   
   > what software to buy and comparing operating systems. For the there is   
   > hardware and software, and the first is required to use the second. They   
   > do not want (or need) more than one hardware platform or more than one   
   > software platform.   
   >   
   > The ideal solution would be commodity operating systems, with several   
   > vedors implementing the same compatibility standard. Unix and Linux do   
   > that, but customers rejected the standard and bought DOS and then   
   > Windows instead.   
   Customers didn't have a choice in the matter. Microsoft illegally   
   claimed the market before Linux even existed.   
      
   >   
   >   
   >>And the current U.S. administration told the D.O.J., "Hands off".   
   >   
   >   
   > And I suppose that is wrong because you disagree with the decision?   
   >   
   >   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)