As far as the Microsoft monopoly is concerned, no one is forced to use it.
The big problem is that this is not true. Most of us *are* forced to use it, at least occasionally. You may be aware of many web sites that are difficult or impossible to use without MSIE, perhaps including our Government Gateway. I've changed platform five times in 34 years of active programming, and each time has been fun, the new platform has been better, interesting, useful, more powerful etc. I am now being forced (or I would be if our X terminals didn't work so well) to change to one that is no better and a lot more expensive. That's the problem. And although I know there are people like you who make a genuine choice with knowledge of the alternatives, I feel that the major forces on me are from people completely ignorant of the alternatives - a software supplier I asked hadn't heard of X, and an IT Inspector I had nine years ago said "Unix ... how to you spell that?". We are upset that with current Government plans, more and more people are going to be forced to use it. -- Christopher Dawkins, Felsted School, Dunmow, Essex CM6 3JG 01371-820527 or 07798 636725 cchd@felsted.essex.sch.uk