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To: i-node who wrote (4569)	2/16/2000 1:48:00 PM
From: David R	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 5102

David, I believe that there are lots of opportunities with Linx. however, replacing the installed base of Windows desktops is not one of them. There are still lots of DOS PC's out there (the masses are slow to adapt new technology), and what incentive can be offered to a Windows user to toss their PC, and applications and move to an unfamiliar environment? Also, Linux does not have the installed base to support the costs of building and supporting a competitive desktop product, and the days of $500 shrink-wrapped SW are gone. Would you really want to launch a start-up whose product would be a word processor or checkbook program? Just as with the web and thin clients, replacing Windows is not the point nor the opportunity. Look for the areas where Windows can not compete.

To: i-node who wrote (4569)	2/16/2000 1:55:00 PM
From: David R	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 5102

RE: Linux is clearly a superior environment David, that is like saying a Porsche is a superior vehicle. Not if you want to haul logs or children. Windows is a rich desktop environment with hundreds of thousands of stable, and cheap applications. MS Office is essentially free with a $600 PC. In what way is Linux superior to that? As a developer, the Windows tools are second to none. How many Solaris based products are developed NT? Quite a lot. If I were deploying Linux apps, I'd probably still use an NT machine for my desktop development environment. So would, I suspect, a vast majority of developers out there. Linux has its strengths, as does NT, and Solaris. At this time, I don't see any of the three replacing the others.