[NTLUG:Discuss] Re: Linux article

[Chris Cox]

Steve Baker wrote:
> Chris Cox wrote:
> 
>> Do I live with some Linux limitations on the applications side??
>> Yes... but it's no different than what was available on Windows
>> a few years ago... we often forget that some of the more
>> sophisticated applications really haven't been available on
>> Windows for very long.
> 
> 
> There is no doubt that the OS and windowing systems are now
> 'good enough'.
> 
> There are two remaining kinds of limitations on Linux growth:
> 
> 1) Consequences of closed data formats:  For example, I cannot
>    watch many video's on web sites that are using .wmf rather
>    than .mpg/.mov/.avi or whatever.  There really isn't much
>    the OpenSource world can do about this - but if Linux somehow
>    magically had more desktop users, market pressures would force
>    more people to publish stuff in Open formats.

Bullseye.. well.. with regards to what John Terptra was trying
to warn us about.  Closed data formats... I hope are something
that will fade away.

> 
> 2) Applications that are used by a tiny minority of users and which
>    require a lot of man-hours to write.  These are poor targets for
>    OpenSource development.  However, people generally don't mind
>    spending big $$$ for this stuff - so again, if there were more
>    Linux penetration, more developers would target it with high
>    dollar applications.

But.. of course, this is where I'm seeing a lot of Linux interest.
You're right though... most of these have been closed source, but
they are definitely targeting Linux.  So.. I agree.

...
>> And how many people are really buying
>> (the act of taking physical cash out one's own pocket and
>> obtaining software) the Windows applications?  My own guess is
>> that >75-85% of those complaining about lack of sw applications
>> don't truly OWN the Windows versions.
> 
> 
> So if Microsoft clamped down on piracy, there would be a lot more
> Linux users!   Maybe we should be more enthusiastic about content
> management and it's application to the prevention of piracy?

And of course, Microsoft has been clamping down on piracy and
it is absolutely working against them (especially in the long term).
They really, really don't understand the value of marketshare.