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Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development.system,comp.unix.bsd.386bsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc,comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc,comp.os.linux.advocacy Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!news.rmit.EDU.AU!news.unimelb.EDU.AU!munnari.OZ.AU!news.ecn.uoknor.edu!paladin.american.edu!gatech!news.cse.psu.edu!uwm.edu!lll-winken.llnl.gov!decwrl!amd!netcomsv!uu4news.netcom.com!netcomsv!uu3news.netcom.com!ixnews1.ix.netcom.com!netcom.com!stren From: stren@netcom.com (Sam Trenholme) Subject: Re: Historic Opportunity facing Free Unix (was Re: The Lai/Baker paper, benchmarks, and the world of free UNIX) Message-ID: <strenDq7I86.3Mo@netcom.com> Organization: NETCOM: Your source of non-stop orgasms References: <NELSON.96Apr15010553@ns.crynwr.com> <yfgbuktfn1w.fsf@time.cdrom.com> <4l89ov$g5i@river.biddeford.com> Date: Sun, 21 Apr 1996 09:55:18 GMT Lines: 41 Sender: stren@netcom21.netcom.com Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.os.linux.development.system:22002 comp.unix.bsd.386bsd.misc:764 comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc:3409 comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc:3258 comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:17876 comp.os.linux.advocacy:46656 >[The general public] also needs to have their hand held; they need support. >I can see someone chiming in about News/IRC/other_internet_forum on this, >this is not support, at least not in the sense most people want. I >am fine posting a request for help and then looking for a reply (and >appreciate it when (if) it comes), but that's not mainstream. People want >to call a support number, preferably toll-free, and say "It's broke, >fix it." Thats what they're paying for. As a point, Microsoft, the dominant maker of software for the "desktop", has a technical support number that demands you pull out your credit card before you get technical support. And yet, Microsoft dominates. Linux will, in the long run, do well for the following reasons: * It is an open standard * It is a standard that is expanding in mindshare and market share * It is a standard which is getting expanded application support * It is a standard that will, with the "Caldera Office", be appealing to the standard business With 1-900 tech support numbers, people are starting to realise the problems with only one player controlling the market. I do not see the dominance of Microsoft fading today or tomorrow, but, in the long term, Microsoft will fade and Linux will become more popular. I know that I vote for Linux with my wallet-- I have registered all Linux software that I can (w/o a Credit card, I can't register Netscpae, alas). It is my hope that other Linux users who do that same will help Linux take over the mainstream market. -- Sam Trenholme - stren@netcom.com - http://www-ucsee.eecs.berkeley.edu/~set LINUX! - PGP encrypted mail is preferred - finger me for PGP public key block The opinions in this message are strictly my opinions and not my employer's