RE: RE: Free OS/400

<snip>IMHO, the reason Micro$oftt has "won" (so far) is that their products
have become de facto standards: everybody uses them so everybody knows how
to use them so . . . and the cycle continues. Changing this will take more
than just a better product -- it will take getting that better product into
the hands of enough people to make a difference. More aggressive marketing
is part of the answer, and so is giving away things like WebSphere, just to
get it out there. </snip>

This is were I think you are wrong... Microsoft pushed themselves into the
market, got more computers with their OS installed and suddenly other
companies started selling their computers with Windows because they were
loosing money, and it sort of stuck. So ( this is so hard to say ) I admit,
in that way they did not monopolize. However, they then included IE with the
OS (Netscape was better), added a zip/unzip program with WinME (WinZip and
PowerArchiver are better), and many other new things in XP that cut down
other companies business (like CD burning, Movie editing, MP3 player, etc).
I like Windows 2k it is stable and I have no problem running the programs I
need to (Diablo 2, Quake 3, Unreal Tournament, etc). 

With Windows XP it seems like Microsoft is going to make you buy a new
computer (or least a new copy of Windows) just to install that brand new
Geforce 3 video card. That is unacceptable in my book, I don't want to have
to call Microsoft every time trying to convince them that I just installed a
new video card. Especially at 11 at night... 

I better get off the soapbox now, before I have to put my foot in my
mouth....

Mike
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