Mac/OS, NextStep, Unix etc.. are all known to be technically superior to Windows 3.X/9X.
Olu - how do you measure "technical superiority" - what does technical superiority really mean? Granted, Unix has a large installed base on server machines - but I believe there are very few people that are using Unix on desktop computers. Why? Because there are very few desktop applications that run on Unix. So if Unix is technically superior, I wonder why the makers of Unix don't try to motivate software developers to create more commercial desktop applications for Unix?
Here's a Unix anecdote for you: In the late 1980's I worked for a software company called Dynamic Solutions - we developed and sold a DOS-based graphical software package for chemists for a chemical separations process called chromatography. In the late 1980's the company was bought by Millipore Corporation (based outside of Boston). In 1990, we started to embark on developing a version of the software for Windows (3.0 was in beta). The Millipore execs instructed us to change direction, and to focus our development efforts on Unix. Our impression of Unix at the time was that it was big, and consequently slow on desktop computers, and difficult to install and manage (the OS came with something like 50+ diskettes) - and we knew that developing for Unix would be more expensive and would ultimately result in a more expensive product for our customers (for both software and hardware). With this impression in mind, we were a bit shocked when we received this "order" to develop for Unix. Months of lobbying senior management ensued - but to no avail, the execs at the parent company would not budge on their decision. And so what happened? Half the company (about 15 people) quit - including the entire marketing staff (myself included) and some of the key development staff. I'm glad I quit - I went on to business school and then Microsoft. Millipore went on to develop a version of the software for Unix - it took them two years to get the product out the door - and once the product was released, it's acceptance was mediocre. After the Unix product was out on the market Millipore execs noticed that competitors now had Windows products that were stealing market share away. So what did they do - they developed a Windows product - again it took them about a year or two to get it out, but once it was out, they were able to capture back some of their lost market share (and I understand the product is doing pretty well today).
Why do I bring this up? Because the early 90s was a key time for developing desktop applications and getting them entrenched in the hands of users. And at the time, the makers of Unix had little care for the desktop. And I don't think the makers of Unix have much care for the desktop today either.
So is Unix technically superior to Windows? I have no idea - and in truth it doesn't matter. It's like saying that a Ferrari is technically superior to my Nissan. So what. I'm not going to sell my Nissan for a Ferrari.
As for Mac OS - similar arguments apply. While there is a lot more software for the Mac than there is for Unix, software developers are not as motivated to create applications for the Mac as they are for Windows because (1) it's more difficult and (2) the market is smaller. What was Apple doing in the early 90s when computers were taking off? Why the company was embarking on a strategy whereby they could obtain all revenue for a computer purchase - hardware and operating system software - this was pretty shortsighted of the company, and such shortsightedness caused them to miss the boat. If Apple computers had the market penetration that Intel based PCs have today, why, the DOJ would probably be investigating Apple, because Apple would have a much stronger control over desktop computers than Microsoft could ever have with just the operating system.
So, in summary, I'm not certain what point you are trying to make with your statements regarding technical superiority. You know, I bought my mom a PC a couple of years back (running Windows and Office of course) - she loves it - it does everything she needs it to do. I can't imagine anything that would have motivated me to buy her a Unix machine instead.
Thanks,
-Eric |
