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Re: [PLUG] OT: Linux Business Forum
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On Monday 21 October 2002 11:58 pm, William H. Magill wrote:
> Way back then (circa 1990) computers were still rare. People had to
> learn everything about computers. Today, the reverse is true...
> everybody knows all about Windows...
> It's just like the Automatic Transmission in a car. Not that long ago
> (1980s), an "automatic" was a "feature" and cost more -- just like
> touch-tone telephones -- now if you want a Manual transmission, you
> have to pay more for it, and it actually REDUCES the resale value of
> the vehicle because it seriously cuts down on the number of people
> who are able to drive it!
I like this "windows as automatic transmission" metaphor. Date's
wrong, though. I'd say auto trans started becoming standard in the
mid-sixties. Manual transmissions remained standard in "economy cars"
VWs, Toyotas and Datsuns until the mid-70's.
What's so good about the metaphor is that it illustrates Linux'
problems. Like the manual transmission, people perceive it difficult
to drive (though more power and better control). As long as that
perception exists, there will be resistance in the business desktop
market.
In the early '90s my office used MS winword while most offices were
using dos WordPerfect. When my secretary went on maternity leave, it
was very difficult to find someone who could step in. (We finally
found a Mac user who could adapt.) So, it is a big factor for
companies who have any degree of turnover to use familiar software. I
think that this learning curve thing is part of what got firms using
Novell and desktop software rather than "minicomputers" and mainframes
with very proprietary end user software.
I heard a PalmOS executive talking about getting what he called "the
windows circle of saturation". He described how windows has more
developers because it has more desktops for them to sell their work to,
and there are more windows desktops out there because there are more
windows developers catering to them. He spoke of the death of OS/2 as
being a lack of developers caused by -- and leading to -- a lack of
developers.
--
_______________________________
Art Alexion
Arthur S. Alexion LLC
mailto:arthur@alexion.com
http://www.alexion.com
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