Toolkit

Story: Microsoft to Linux: 'Bring it on'

Posted by: Steve (Tuesday 4 May 2004, 12:10 PM)

Smithy, I believe you're missing a point here.

In my experience, the people who use Windows don't realise there's a choice, or don't have the choice, usually because there are particular applications that they have to have that aren't available on Linux. That is why it has such market dominance.

I don't want to use Windows. I have to use Windows. Is this a good state to be in?

A little while ago I used to use my home computer basically for internet access, email and some word-processing, so I downloaded Mandrake and used that. Guess what? It was fantastic! The random crashes I got with Windows just went away.

Since then I upgraded the hardware with the intention of playing games as well and had to install Windows for that. Now I run a dual boot system and use Mandrake for everything I can and Windows for everything else. I see a lot more blue screens these days.

Hopefully the efforts of Walmart will increase the installed Linux base, thus persuading software developers to create Linux versions of their software, creating CHOICE, which is what this is all about. I seriously worry when one company has control of 96% of the computers on the planet. It gives them carte blanche to do what they like and screw the users. You have Linux to thank for the fact that MS even gives the slightest consideration to security and non-sloppy programming these days