This is developing news, and there are a few interesting consequences:
1. Microsoft's software is unmaintainable, without throwing titanic amounts of money at it. This means that if Microsoft experiences declining sales on its basic products (Windows, Office), the products themselves will disappear. In a decade, Wine may be all that is left of Windows.
2. The price of Windows is increasing, as the price of computers is plummeting. A $2000 computer with a $100 operating system works. A $500 computer with a $200 operating system doesn't. Windows should cost no more than $20 today. Microsoft's model is clearly unsustainable.
3. The biggest benefit from Microsoft alternatives isn't replacing Windows, the benefit is being able to do things that were never possible with Windows. Linux bootable CD/flash is a wonderful approach for single-purpose devices, which is what most of the world wants almost all computers to be.
I've been programming computers for 40 years now, and this is about the third major transition I've been through. It is by far the most fun.
1. Microsoft's software is unmaintainable, without throwing titanic amounts of money at it. This means that if Microsoft experiences declining sales on its basic products (Windows, Office), the products themselves will disappear. In a decade, Wine may be all that is left of Windows.
2. The price of Windows is increasing, as the price of computers is plummeting. A $2000 computer with a $100 operating system works. A $500 computer with a $200 operating system doesn't. Windows should cost no more than $20 today. Microsoft's model is clearly unsustainable.
3. The biggest benefit from Microsoft alternatives isn't replacing Windows, the benefit is being able to do things that were never possible with Windows. Linux bootable CD/flash is a wonderful approach for single-purpose devices, which is what most of the world wants almost all computers to be.
I've been programming computers for 40 years now, and this is about the third major transition I've been through. It is by far the most fun.