From:	Lehlan Decker <decker@****.FSU.EDU>
Subject:	Re: "Free" Software (was: Euro question)
Date:	Fri, 1 May 1998 13:50:21 -0500

>
> ----------
> > From: Lehlan Decker <decker@****.FSU.EDU>
> > To: SHADOWRN@********.ITRIBE.NET
> > Subject: Re: "Free" Software (was: Euro question)
> > Date: Friday, May 01, 1998 11:21 AM
> >
> > 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.
> >
>
> So in the end you have the deckers running their own OSs on their
> computers, and the standard users running some mass-marketed crap?
>
> Sounds about right.
>
Possibly. But you notice Linux can read HPFS, Vfat, etc etc.
NT can't read HPFS (in version 4), or ext2, or much else besides FAT and
NTFS. This goes back to the theory, microsoft doesn't have to destory
anyone, eventually you will use their product, because its all there is.


--
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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.