__/ [ peter ] on Saturday 16 December 2006 10:50 \__
> We are slowly getting more Linux support.
> Opera with a drop down menu for upgrade to 9.2 for major Linux
> distributions.
> Lightscribe support with rpm's for Suse.
> Now all we need is a shockwave player !
>
>
> Peter
The main barrier to adoption is Microsoft's scare tactics and subtle OEM
retaliation. There are many people out there who would happily buy a Linux
PC with peripherals, all of which work 'out of the box', having been
delivered to their house.
As it stands, getting a Linux PC is not convenient. That is precisely what
Microsoft keeps trying to achieve. Elevating prices is another trick. On top
of that, one line of FUD (e.g. "undisclosed balance-sheet liability") serves
as a deterrent to many.
While much of the above is invisible (e.g. try to prove that Dell prices a
blank laptop $100 above that one which comes with XP/Vista), some people
have done their research.
Jury Hears Microsoft Competition Suit
,----[ Quote ]
| A judge on Friday told jurors they must accept as fact that a
| federal court found in 1999 that Microsoft holds a monopoly over
| computer operating systems and that it restricted computer
| manufacturers' ability to use competing systems.
|
| [...]
|
| She said she'll show that the company used its monopoly power
| to exclude competition and control prices and that it conspired with
| other companies to restrain trade, maintaining what she called a
| chokehold on software competitors and computer manufacturers.
|
| "It isn't illegal to be successful," Conlin said in opening
| remarks. "We applaud that. ... But you can't freeze out competitors
| and punish and retaliate against people who cooperate with
| competitors. Microsoft did all that and more."
|
| Conlin warned jurors that she would say some unflattering things
| about Microsoft and its billionaire founder Bill Gates, who
| serves as company chairman.
|
| [...]
|
| Conlin's first 3 1/2 hours of opening arguments delved deeply into
| computer industry history and how Microsoft fought off competitors
| attempting to design rival software.
`----
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/061201/microsoft_trial.html?.v=1
The O/S battle is not a technical one. It has become more litigious. A quick
read through Groklaw (including one of Microsoft's FUD arms, known as SCO)
reveals much of the corruption which helps Microsoft illegally sustain a
monopoly.
--
~~ Kind greetings and happy holidays!
Roy S. Schestowitz | Useless fact: Digits 772-777 of Pi are 999999
http://Schestowitz.com | GNU/Linux ¦ PGP-Key: 0x74572E8E
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http://iuron.com - next generation of search paradigms
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