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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