Yes and no. The history of products is filled with stories of how less good products have won out over
products that are generally considered better products because of monopoly power, smarts/stupids,
timing, alliances, tricks, packaging, marketing, ignorant consumers, what have ya. It happens all the
time. And this will continue.
...but only for a limited time, which is *my* point. The natural and inevitable result is an alignment of perception
and reality, even if it takes some time.
My point is that a small section of technology people like Tom want what he wants in terms of his
preferred Linux version and what have ya. But for the average consumer, they won't care, therefore he
may critise Corel for using the Dabian version but in my eyes it's irrelevant because the larger mass of
consumers do not care. Those who do care, which is in my estimation a small portion, will go and ftp
their hearts out. And because of the news today Corel will make it even more attractive for the
average consumer to want to buy a Corel Linux package then yesterday. Olga
I agree someone shouldn't make judgements on the larger situations based solely on their own frame of reference. I agree with your final assessments, although I do believe people *do* care. Both directly (particular OS, Distro, whatever. These are more informed folks) and indirectly ("I want my puter to not crash", "I like the shortcuts in WP better" etc.. These are less informed folk). All of these folks are affected by the underlying realities, though in different ways. Reality eventually reaches up to perception and draws it to itself.
MS is a good example of the inevitability of this truth.
The Register: China bans Win2k,
developing Red Flag Linux
instead
Jan 6, 2000, 17:00 UTC (0 Talkbacks) (Other stories by John Lettice)
"China is to ban government use of Windows 2000 and is developing its own
Linux-based operating system instead, according to reports this morning from
Beijing. The move, which doesn't seem to have been entirely confirmed as yet,
follows on from claims last year that China intended to ban both Intel
processors and Microsoft software for security reasons...."
"But while you could maybe reckon this is just a bit of price-gouging by China, the development of what seems
to be called Red Flag Linux (unless you want tanks on your lawn, Mr. Young, we'd caution you not to sue) is
being justified for other reasons. According to Chinese officials quoted in the paper the development of an
indigenous operating system is being seen as an IT parallel to the cold war leaps China made in producing
nuclear weapons, missiles and satellites."
Complete Story
mowa |
