Re: [PLUG] Fwd: CG: Windows XP warning

[Paul <paul@dpagin.net>]

"I'm not arguing efficiency of markets here (although I am always in favor
of free enterprise).  My original point was to agree with Mike Leone that
Microsoft was not the primary factor in making the standard PC hardware so
cheap - IBM's intentional openness with their specs is what did it.  In
fact, I would say that Microsoft was more of a beneficiary than a cause of
cheap hardware."

I don't want to keep this going too much longer...

I guess the main factor is that there are competing hardware manufacturers.

But, what good is hardware without an operating system?  The public has chosen (if that is the correct word) for the most part to use Windows.  As more people buy Windows, more
hardware is needed to run it.  The competition to be the hardware supplier to fill the demand for PCs helps to drive prices down.  As a result, that hardware can be purchased by Linux
users at a lower cost, because Linux can run on hardware meant for Windows.

If special hardware is needed to run Linux, how much would it cost?  Again, look at Sun, Apple, and old IBM.  They make the OS, they make the hardware; It isn't cheap.  Now that many
companies make hardware that many OSes can run on, prices are lower.  The competition also makes the OSes better.

If the world had only Linux, I hate to say it, but it would suck for the reasons mentioned above.


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