Selling Linux to Windows Users

[Dotan Cohen]

2008/12/11 Bart Silverstrim <bsilver at chrononomicon.com>:
>> That is not splitting hairs. I prefer (in calculators) a calculator with
>> reverse polish notation (RPN). Those are expensive because only
>> HP makes them. But HP did nothing to monopolize the market,
>> every maker is free to make RPN calculators.  Until they do, I
>> will have to pay HP's heavy price.
>
> That's not really a monopoly since it's kind of like saying saying Ford
> has a monopoly because I like the Ford logo on the steering wheel or
> Coke has a monopoly because of their cool bottle shape on cool bottle
> shaped soft drinks.
>

Ford does not have any particular feature that no other car
manufacturer cannot implement (I know, I own a Focus!). Bart doesn't
like HP, he likes RPN calculators. (That probably means that he likes
torturing himself with technology, I bet he's a Linux user!)

> Apple was accused of having a monopoly on OS X systems by Psystar and
> that was thrown out of court if I recall correctly, since they have Mac
> hardware and license OS X only to be run on it.
>
> Monopolies are not a bad thing, per say, but you can't do things to as a
> monopoly using your monopoly position to squash a new guy with an idea.
> I.e., not too many companies are doing space exploration...NASA almost
> corners that market.

NASA may be the leader in interplanetary exploration, but for getting
objects to LEO and other Earth orbits there is a whole industry
brewing and thriving. Space exploration is not a market, satellite
insertion is.

> Microsoft *did* exploit their monopoly position
> with 99% market share telling companies like Dell that, hey, if you want
> to put Linux on your system, that's fine but you're going to pay us a
> fee anyway or we might not let you install Windows on your systems
> anymore which would guarantee their sales would tank. That's illegal.
>
> If you're a defacto monopoly or by virtue of a better product or
> service, it's perfectly legal.
>
> Since monopolies are kind of spelled out legally in the US as to what's
> okay and what's not, I think there's really not much to argue about on
> that particular topic, is there?
>

Maybe we should just take this to /.?

-- 
Dotan Cohen

http://what-is-what.com
http://gibberish.co.il

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