Les Mikesell wrote:
...
It is only difficult to escape when equal/better choices don't exist.
One of the reasons those other choices might not exist is that
licenses that only permit code re-use under restrictive conditions
like the GPL have prevented them from being created.
Wow, some people refuse to have any sense of history.
Where is:
MBOS
CP/M
MP/M
OASYS
and so many others?
There used to be choices. There are no choices any more, and the only
reason that the UNIX derivatives and look-alikes even exist today is due
to licensing. If they could have been purchased and destroyed, they
would have, long ago.
Are there better choices besides MS and UNIX/Linux? That is a silly
question, because there are no others any more, and no commercial entity
in its right mind would suggest otherwise.
However, with the advent of personal processing, like UMPCs or smart
phones, that dynamic has again changed.
The dominant OS on smart phones is far and away still Symbian. MS only
has deep penetration in the states, and only for people who have never
tried anything else (mostly, IMO). In a competitive marketplace, no MS
OS would ever be purchased except by the uneducated.
This is a bit dated:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2002906726_wirelessos03.html
This shows just the US, for a comparison:
http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2007/12/14/canalys-symbian-apple-iphone-already-leads-windows-mobile-in-us-market-share-q3-2007/
It is hard to find objective analysis, but on recent trips abroad, I
never saw an MS based smart phone besides those who worked in MS
oriented IT shops. But then I didn't stop everyone on the street
either, so YMMV.
In my current employment, all upper management have BB, and all PC
support guys have MS, and all other platform support guys have something
other than. Personally, I wouldn't trade my Centro for any MS based
phone I have seen, and the MS IT guys here are always cussing at their
phones, but blissfully ignorant of any alternatives. I just turn away
and happily look up contacts and dial with one hand. Of course, I carry
a Nokia N810 for music, books, surfing and to ssh into servers when needed.
Smart phones offer choice, and only MS uses the age old 'compatibility'
complaint in their marketing. No one else seems to need it, or want it.
Good Luck!
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