From:	Lehlan Decker <decker@****.FSU.EDU>
Subject:	Re: "Free" Software (was: Euro question)
Date:	Fri, 1 May 1998 13:21:41 -0500

>
> > ease of use. And it was free. I'm sure there were attempts to
> > develop something else, but those attempts quickly died at the hands
> > of this free OS that everyone was using. Why buy something, when what
> > you can get for free works? This model grew in popularity until even
>
> I think this statement needs an analogy.
>
> Compare Windows 95 to Linux with X-Windows. =)
>
Guys the problem also is that a free product, doesn't have the
same investments behind it, because there's little to no money
being made. I love linux (and no my x-windows, doesn't look like Win95:))
but I still have to have a copy of Win95 for games, and MS Office.
Linux has come a long way (although their NFS support still needs some
work), but its not the same. I haven't seen anyone writing huge mass
market games for it, etc. Free software is wonderful, and it provides
a challenge to the megas, but it would most likely always be seen
in the hands of the "intellectuals" who liked to fiddle with their
OS, didn't mind things breaking, or writing it themselves. The masses
want somebody to call when it breaks, and to be able to wonder
down the store and by their programs. I don't see this changing even
by 2050. This is all IMHO of course.

--
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Lehlan Decker 644-4534 Systems Development
decker@****.fsu.edu http://www.scri.fsu.edu/~decker
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The universe doesn't have laws, it has habits. And habits can be broken.