There really is a tax around there for people that are evaluating their choices going into this holiday season and going forward. There’s a choice tax that we talked about, which is, hey, you want to buy a machine that’s other than black, white, or silver, and if you want to get it in multiple different configurations or price points, you’re going to be paying a tax if you go the Apple way. There’s going to be an application tax, which is if you want choice around applications, or if you want the same type of application experience on your Mac versus Windows, you’re going to be purchasing a lot of software. Lou Reed said it better.
This comic from XKCD is appropriate if you substitute “open source” for “pirate” and “proprietary” for “DRM” since our friends from Redmond consider open source a crime.
In November 2004 I got so ANGRY because of yet again a problem with Windows (2000 back then) that I got myself together, went to the nearest Apple store and ordered a Mac (iMac G5). (I had problems with Mandrake 9 on my PC, so I wasn’t very confident with linux, the barely-more-than-a-newbie that I was/still am.)
(Hardcore GNU/Linux users: I get to the point right now, so forgive me my mentioning Apple )
Since then, I still wonder how on Earth I was able to tolerate MS Windows for all those years…
Anyway, I want to testify that dumping Windows does not bear any “taxes”. With my Mac I can do all that a Windows user does. The only program that I bought was Photoshop Elements, and I didn’t even need that.
I now run Ubuntu 7.10 (yes, yes, I know, it’s not openSuSE ) one one of my home computers, and with that, too, I can do all a Windows user does. And a lot cheaper, for that!
At work, we switched from Win2000 to SLED 10 last week (without a problem, FYI). We have OpenOffice and Firefox. Works fine. No more need for MS Office or Internet Exploiter - Explorer, pardon me.
IMO, that comment of mister Brooks is just more FUD. Remind me of Ballmer calling linux users communists… Sheesh.
hi all
i am not wanna be a windows hater… but some guys from redmond is really pushing. I did not like this… i want to be more freely wo ms products… thank you people from opensource…
afaiu the business should be honest…
microsoft steal so many things… i wonder why they ask us do not steal their windows? what about dos, basic, windows…
and this people teach us how we must to live our lifes…
Yeah. Not to support the idea that OSS’ers are conspirators or anything, but, Big Corp and Monopoly is worse than Big Gov’t, because they can steal from the people and profit from the ideas, call it their own, and then force people to do something only one way. Luckily, OSS is getting a larger share of PC’s (and Mac’s, in a way).
)
) one one of my home computers, and with that, too, I can do all a Windows user does. And a lot cheaper, for that!