from the libertarian newspaper

[Phil Thayer]

> 
> 90% of the market is a monopoly: Microsoft has a monopoly on 
> the desktop 
> market. Not that there is anything inherently wrong with a 
> monopoly in 
> itself-- its when the monopoly is abused that it becomes a 
> big problem real 
> fast. Microsoft's abuse of its monopoly is evident from the 
> number of people 
> buying and/or using Windows because they have no real freedom 
> to choose other 
> good options.
> 

They have 90% of the desktop market because that is what they targeted
with their marketing initially.  Their technology did not hold up and
cannot hold up when it gets out of the desktop market.  So, I'm not real
worried if they have the market for the GUI front-end systems that
support the server backends running a *nix OS.

> 
> Computers are rarely shown in detail in movies, and from what 
> I've seen, 
> there's a good variety of OS used there. Can't comment on TV 
> as I have not 
> watched it for at least 2-3 years.
> 

Good for you.  You are in the minority when it comes to watching TV.  I
can tell you that anytime I have seen a computer on a TV show it is
almost always a Windows system.

> 
> Right..... so where can I go to buy a good laptop without 
> Windows exactly? 
> Last time I checked (within the past year), they all mandated 
> a Windows 
> purchase.

Go to
http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/precn_390?c=us&
l=en&s=bsd&cs=04  one of the options for this system is Red Hat.
Read this new release from HP in 2004.
http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2004/040803a.html?jumpid=reg_R10
02_USEN
Read the last paragraph of the Dell Workstations Solutions page to find
out about the Dell Red Hat support provided.
http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/solutions/en/precision_li
nux?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs
Here is the HP Linux support and consulting services page that describes
their commitment to Linux.
http://h20219.www2.hp.com/services/cache/390161-0-0-225-121.aspx?jumpid=
reg_R1002_USEN
And then if you want a world class RDBMS with Linux (including support
and consulting services) look at
http://www.oracle.com/technologies/linux/index.html

> 
> > We have the respect of the companies selling the hardware.  
> 
> That's why companies like nVidia and ATi continue to violate 
> the licensing 
> terms on Linux...

I really don't keep up with all that.  Not when companies like Apple
blatantly violate patent laws live on TV in front of the whole world.
nVidia and Ati violating the terms of the Linux licensing is trivial.
At least they want to get into what they must see as a lucrative market
in the Linux world.

> 
> > Also, they see the opportunity to sell a support contract 
> with the free
> > Linux which means money in their pockets.
> 
> Not only do they ship computers with Linux, but they also 
> support it? Are you 
> writing a science-fiction novel?

Not only do they ship with Linux but they support it.  As for the
Science Fiction part...Well in the '60's people viewed science fiction
as having computers that you could hold in your lap and phones that you
would be able to use with a simple communications device in the ear and
a "communicator" that was on the belt of the person communicating.  Gee,
maybe science fiction is the precursor of reality?

In any case, Linux and *nix in general are not the small misunderstood
group of OS's that everyone likes to think of them to be.  They are a
major player in the IT industry.  Not just some hobby OS that is on the
verge of dying away.

Phil