[Bug 1] Re: Microsoft has a majority market share

[Conrad Knauer]

mommedia.com: The problem with your 'proof' is the "build" and "ship"
part.  Its easy enough for us, who are deeply aware of the problem, to
go to an online retailer and order a custom Ubuntu computer.  It is not
easy however for the 'average computer user' to walk into a store and be
offered a choice of operating systems.  At best they might see a Mac
with OS X next to a PC with Windows Vista, but neither of those are
software libre.  Usually however they will just see Windows computers
and buy something 'off the shelf'.  Even the major online retailers
(e.g. Dell) which offer customizable computers online, don't make it
easy at all to get anything except Windows preinstalled (hopefully this
will change soon).

As per the 'its not a bug' assertion, I will only agree with you to the
extent that bugs are accidental things; the Windows stranglehold on
preinstalled desktop operating systems is much more like malware.

The lack of preinstalled Linux is only one symptom of the larger bug
description: "Non-free software is holding back innovation in the IT
industry, restricting access to IT to a small part of the world's
population and limiting the ability of software developers to reach
their full potential, globally." as I illustrated by mentioning the lack
of preinstalled Firefox, OpenOffice.org, etc. earlier.

Any complaints you have about hardware not functioning well in Linux are
also a symptom of this greater bug, e.g. non-redistributable firmware
supplied with Windows drivers.

-- 
Microsoft has a majority market share
https://launchpad.net/bugs/1