XPost: comp.os.linux.advocacy, comp.os.os2.advocacy   
   From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?lin=F8nut?=@bone.com   
      
   Andrew J. Brehm poked his little head through the XP firewall and said:   
      
   > 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   
      
   No they don't.  They want a computer that can run the Windows apps that   
   they've become accustomed to (thanks to the monopoly), and deal with   
   internet formats in ways similar to what they've become accustomed to,   
   thanks to the monopoly.   
      
   If someone were so foolish as to make a Linux distro that exactly   
   emulates Windows, and so incredibly lucky as to elbow out Windows in a   
   significant percentage of the current desktop computer OEMs, they people   
   would buy it, and not even know the differecne.   
      
   > and can buy it. 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.   
      
   Sure, maybe.  Where a predatory monopolist doesn't hold sway.   
      
   > If there is demand for non-Windows computer, there will be a supply of   
   > such.   
      
   No there won't, not as long as this Administration treats this predatory   
   monopolist with kid gloves.   
      
   >> 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.   
      
   The average user does *not* need a computer to be compatible with   
   anything.  The average user needs to be able to deal with arbitrary   
   content, media, and applications in a manner compatible, no matter what   
   the computer.   
      
   Do not confuse OS-land and hardware-land with user-land.   
      
   >> 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.   
      
   Bullshit.  Learn some history.   
      
   > 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.   
      
   No it won't.  Why do you think we still have manual versus auto   
   transmissions?   
      
   Or completely incompatible cell-phones?   
      
   > Most customers do not want a non-standard PC.   
      
   No shit, Sherlock.   
      
   >> 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?   
      
   No.  It is wrong because one branch of government cynically aborted the   
   decision of another branch.   
      
   Now what are you doing on the net?  Get back to work, Microslave.   
      
   --   
   Linux - A most satisfying eXPerience   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)