from the libertarian newspaper

[Phil Thayer]

> > I think that what people forget is that there are reasons that all
> > operating systems on the market in today's IT world are 
> there because
> > they have something that the user wants. 
> 
> Or, in the case of Microsoft, because they have a monopoly.
> 

I don't think Microsoft has a monopoly.  If they did then there would
not be the number of OS's still in the market that there are now.  If
you were to look at all the OS's that are on the market now and
categorize them there are more *nix type OS's than windows type OS's.
In fact the *nix type OS installations actually out number the Windows
installations in certain areas of the computer industry.  The area that
Windows has the strongest foothold is in the personal/workstation
market.  Not in the server market.  I think it's time that the *nix
community realize that they don't have to display the persecution
syndrome to get respect.  They already have it in the markets that
really count.

> 
> If someone is computer illiterate, they wouldn't recognize 
> either. They would 
> certainly have an easier time using a *nix OS than they would 
> using Windows.

Most likely the little they have seen about computers is from the TV
which would be windows.

> > I do not understand what you mean by the "Microsoft Tax".  
> If a company
> > or person creates a product and markets it extremely well 
> (regardless of
> > whether it is good or not) and there is a demand for that 
> product, why
> > would they not price it based on the demand?  That does not 
> seem like a
> > tax to me, that seems like capitalism to me.  
> 
> Except that it is not optional. You are *forced* to purchase 
> Windows with the 
> vast majority of computers. If it was optional, you *might* 
> have a point.
> 

Not true.  HP is the largest computer vendor in the country and has the
largest share of computer sales and you can order a PC from them with
Linux pre-installed just like you can windows pre-installed.  Pretty
much every computer vendor in the country is providing that option now.
We have the respect of the companies selling the hardware.  Also, they
see the opportunity to sell a support contract with the free Linux which
means money in their pockets.

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