Mailinglist Archive: opensuse (2522 mails)

[tbutler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Timothy R. Butler)]

Hi Phil,
> I am still following this thread with interest...

  I must say I always enjoy such threads, they bring up interesting discussion!
They also bring interesting differences between Linux and Windows (like the author
of this thread originally meant to do).

> Hmm...  If I ask to charge a high price, and there are other
> suppliers/sources then there is a "fair" market.  The user can
> choose between different sources of software/service.  If my
> service/product is that much better then I get paid.  If there is only
> one supplier then that supplier has a MONOPOLY and can
> do as they please.  When Netscape was a competitor for the browser
> market (at a price) a crew with a MONOPOLY (at the time) tried to
> inflict any user of a PC, with their browser (apparently for free).

  Well, I'll argue to the cows come home that that was fair. MSIE wasn't the only
free browser, in fact Netscape was free for a time, IIRC. But, MS wasn't just
targeting Netscape, but also Mosaic, Lynx, and other "free" browsers. Personally,
I think this is a stupid debate. I don't feel like shelling out $39 bucks every
year to get the latest Netscape, and MSIE was a good thing in that effect.
Granted, they bundled it, and killed Netscape, but Netscape didn't even try to
keep up. Their browser, IMO wasn't/isn't as good after the 3.x releases and they
kept a high price until the bitter end (only changing when they had no choice).

> What should have been a "fair" competition on the market for a product
> was reduced to a "who can afford to do it for free for the longest"
> situation.

  So Sun Microsystems should be in trouble for selling an office suite and
operating system for nothing and $10 respectively, too? How about Corel, should
they get in trouble for that neat Photo-Paint give-a-way since it eats at Adobe
and Microsoft market share?

> You speak of a cheap "upgrade" for DOS 6.XX.  Correct me if I am
> mistaken but was there not an "upgrade" to DOS that had it's main claim
> to "fame" the fact that it did not include stolen software? (Stacker(?) from
> memory).

  I think that was 6.22, yes. However, MS also offered that upgrade offer at
CompUSA and other retailers from 6.1 to 6.2.

  -Tim

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Timothy R. Butler                              Universal Networks
Information Tech. Consultant    Christian Web Services Since 1996
ICQ #12495932 AIM: Uninettm       An Authorized IPSwitch Reseller
tbutler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx        http://www.uninetsolutions.com
===================== "Solutions that Work" =====================

> I have worked in IT for several years now and I say again, as a fairly recent
> Linux user, that the fundamental difference I see between the M$ way and the
> Linux way is: greed vs sharing.
> I will continue to be paid for my work, (as long as my clients feel I am
> doing them a good job)  and hope I am never so greedy that I can not do as I
> have done before and hope to do again:
> Accept the fantastic software and support from the entire Linux community,
> and help other people in using it (as I have been and hope to continue to be).
> -And as a matter of free choice, assist where I can, in the development and
> acceptance of FREE software as a very viable alternative to the greed and
> stifling way of proprietory software.
> I have no problem in paying for changes or alterations or extras to software.
> Or asking my clients to do so.  What I require is value for money and room to
> grow.  Not be tied to a pile of black box proprietory rubbish from start to
> finish.
>
> (and yes, I have written proprietory software!)
>
> Phil
>
> On Tue, 11 Jul 2000, Thomas, Gregory (NBC, KNBC) wrote:
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Timothy R. Butler [mailto:tbutler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> > > Sent: Monday, July 10, 2000 2:28 PM
> > > To: phil@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; SuSE Mailing List
> > > Subject: RE: [SLE] Fundamental differences
> > >
> > >
> > > Not exactly greed, IMO. Tell me Phil, what do you do for a
> > > living? Now, consider
> > > that somewhere along the line someone is paying you to do
> > > what you do. Are you
> > > being greedy for wanting to be paid? If you aren't, how does
> > > this apply to
> > > Microsoft (or Apple, Oracle, Sun, or even SuSE - they offer
> > > the proprietary
> > > Applixware, among other things)? Greed would be charging
> > > $1,000 for Windows 98.
> > >
> >
> > What's more greedy, trying to force the world to standarize on Win98 at $100
> > per copy?  Or charging $1000 per copy in a free market?  I think MS is smart
> > enough to realize that $1000 per copy would encourage too much piracy and
> > would create more opportunity for alternate OSes.  So, I'd say the first
> > scenario is more crafty and much more greedy.
> >
> > But MS blew it anyway because the quality can't even match the $100 price.
> > If the quality were there I don't think Linux, *BSD, BEOS, or any other OS
> > would be doing as well as they are.
> >
> > Greg
> >
> >         Because e-mail can be altered electronically,
> >         the integrity of this communication cannot be guaranteed.
> --
> ============================
> Phil Stebbins
> Keenstreet Communications
> Box 6073
> South Lismore
> N.S.W. 2480
> Australia
> phil@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> http://www.keenstreet.com
> ============================
>


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