FC4 or FC5

[Sean]

On Sun, 18 Jun 2006 13:17:22 -0700 (PDT)
BRUCE STANLEY <bruce.stanley at prodigy.net> wrote:

> It's not a matter of declaring fault.  It's just a sad conclusion that Linux
> can not hope to compete with MS for the Desktop unless something
> changes and it won't be the manufacturers who are concened with
> competition.  I worked in the Mini-Computer industry for too many years
> and I know how Hardware manufacturers think.
> 

It's not really all that sad.

Linux is doing quite well and there is real reason to hope that the
situation will get better on the hardware front as hardware becomes more
and more standard.  If Linux managed to have 100% hardware coverage there
is little reason to believe everyone would switch away from Windows on the
desktop; there is just too much inertia.   OS/2, MAC and others all failed
to win the desktop as well; the desktop wars are already over.

The _real_ value of Linux and other open source projects is the freedoms
given to developers and end users.  Undermining or giving up that aspect
of Linux just to get a bit more hardware support would be a real shame.

Sean