"Of course, there is Solaris for x86, or OS/2, or Be, or Linux, or whatever." "PS. Oh wait, it may still be possible to get a system from IBM that has OS/2 preinstalled."
Sal, does the consumer have a choice fo OSs? In other words, can someone buy a computer, and use an OS other than Windows? That was the crux of the original debate. The answer is YES.
"But my point is that it's next to impossible buy an x86 system with anything except Windows3.x/95/NT."
That may be so, but that was not the argument that Keith was making.
Nobody qualified a computer as a PC or mentioned x86s, yet you can still buy a PC with OS/2, Mac OS, Beos, etc. You can even buy a computer without an OS (look in ZD's Computer Shopper). You can still buy an NC from ORCL or Sun without Windows. Do you think ORCL and SUNW will agree with you that after they have released thier new MSFT competitive products that the consumer still does not have a choice? |
