Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Who is Going to Buy SkyOS?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the does-it-pique-your-curiosity dept.

An anonymous reader wonders: "With the huge amount of operating systems available (numerous free and non-free Linux distros, Windows, Mac OSX, BSD, etc) who would buy SkyOS? An OS that was once free will now become a commercial operating system with the release of version 5.0. Although 'Porting applications from POSIX operating systems is an easy task', applications will still have to be ported since SkyOS 'isn't based on any other operating system'. This leads me to wonder...is there something about this operating system that I'm missing? Has anyone out there tried SkyOS and why would anyone pay for SkyOS with all of the alternatives out there with tonnes of software easily available?"

19 of 118 comments (clear)

  1. Why? by spcmastertim · · Score: 4, Insightful

    People buy windows when there is a free alternative. The reason is simple. SkyOS does something very well, and people who need that one thing done well will buy it. Don't ask me what it is that it does well...

    --
    Body in a woodchipper...HA HA!
    1. Re:Why? by bcat24 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      But that's just the point. People who would use a non-Windows system tend to be a bit smarter (computer-wise). I doubt they'd want to spend money on a system that's incompatable with Windows and Linux.

    2. Re:Why? by CherniyVolk · · Score: 5, Insightful

      People buy windows when there is a free alternative. The reason is simple. SkyOS does something very well, and people who need that one thing done well will buy it...

      Why are people dellusional about what motivates purchases?

      People will buy SkyOS becuase there is a cost associated to it. For no other reason, rationale or sentimental, than the fact it has a price tag.

      For instance, take a look at a typical edition of Cosmopolitan magazine. Go ahead, flip through it. Don't worry, the chick next to you in line might think it's hot. There are so many advertisements in that magazine, you'll be hard pressed to actually find "content". The publishing house makes so much money off the advertisements, that they could pay people just to accept the magazine yet, it still has a price tag; so much money infact, they really don't need "content" and much of it is "fluff" to appear as if there's something of value other than the advertisements. Why? The Advertisement Firms insist they maintain a cover price, becuase they feel people will not take the publication seriously (including holding any value to the advertisements within) if the work was was for free. Now, to emphasize how much of that magazine is content, rip out every page that has the smallest blatant advertisement on it. Or, at your whim, hold all pages that have any "content" thereon. Doesn't matter, either way it will be pathetic I garruntee it.

      It's not much talked about, or doesn't seem so, that one of the largest milestones the Open Source community has is convincing someone there is "value" in a "free" product. Especially, if that individual has been raised in such a capitalistic driven society; they literally can not conclude the possibility anyone could produce a valuable product for free without monetary or material compensation. It's out of their grasp, it does not compute. They default to a conclusion that something must be wrong or lacking if someone is willing to just hand it off on someone else.

      Someone will buy SkyOS. Will they be the next Microsoft? I doubt it. But, I know for certain, someone will buy it in high regard and expectation of "quality" becuase sense they purchased the product... that makes the people making it, "professionals". To a Capitalist, ability and capability is soley determined by price.

    3. Re:Why? by Vellmont · · Score: 5, Interesting


      Especially, if that individual has been raised in such a capitalistic driven society; they literally can not conclude the possibility anyone could produce a valuable product for free without monetary or material compensation. It's out of their grasp, it does not compute


      There's this thing that became quite popular more than 50 years ago, and it was given away free! No price whatsoever. It was called television, and a lot of people saw value in it. It had so much value that many people use this service far too much. About 50 years before that the scientists invented something we now radio. It was also, and continues to be free, and many people seem to love it and see value in it. Something like 400 years ago there was a thing called Public Education that was offered for free. People seem to continue to see value in it despite its free status even today! More recently we've invented internet websites, which are largely free.

      People readily accept products that are free as having value, and have for literally hundreds of years. The problem that open source faces isn't that the software has no cost, it's simply that the current software is in an entrenched position. For the majority of people, the costs really isn't about the actual software itself. That's fairly trivial. The costs come in learning how to use new software, OS, etc. For a business that means retraining employees, or re-writing software. For individuals that means wasting your time re-learning to do something you already know how to do.

      --
      AccountKiller
    4. Re:Why? by exp(pi*sqrt(163)) · · Score: 4, Informative
      People buy windows when there is a free alternative.
      There's a free alternative to Windows? But it's only in alpha.
      --
      Doesn't it make you feel good to know that our freedoms are protected by politicans, lawyers and journalists.
    5. Re:Why? by donscarletti · · Score: 3, Informative
      For instance, take a look at a typical edition of Cosmopolitan magazine. Go ahead, flip through it. Don't worry, the chick next to you in line might think it's hot.

      I totally agree, I absolutely love Cosmo for these reasons.

      • Cosmo is full of pictures of beautiful, glamourous and often scantily clothed women.
      • Cosmo is full of really filthy articles about doing the nasty.
      • Cosmo is full of really filthy articles about female masterbation.
      • Cosmo is full of interesting information about women.
      • Almost every second week cosmo features an article on women's anatomy, with pictures of exposed breasts and other facinating bits.
      • Cosmo is just like a men's "stroke mag" in most ways I can imagine.
      • Cosmo can be read by a man in broad daylight, in mixed company and women will admire him for emersing himself in female culture and female perspective, completely oblivious to his motivations, as long as he hides his erection well enough. Wives, girlfriends, mothers, sisters, daughters and every other type of woman in a man's life just seem to not see it. Sure, men might look at you funny, until you show them the double page feature on breast implants, giving you 30 exposed real, large breasts and 10 fake ones to tell apart complete with answers and close ups on the next page (real article, I kid you not).
      Cosmo is HOT HOT HOT and women don't get why enlightened men love it so much. Occasionally it has a male glamour shot for the target demographic to admire, which isn't my cup of tea, but it seems to be always tastefully done and never demeaning to the man involved. Cosmo, though obviously female biased in its outlook doesn't have as much latent misandry as other womens publications either, so I can feel good about myself while reading it.

      I am so tempted to go out and get a subscription.

      --
      When Argumentum ad Hominem falls short, try Argumentum ad Matrem
  2. Re:Steven King dead at 55 by spcmastertim · · Score: 3, Funny

    If he is in heaven, would he use SkyOS?

    --
    Body in a woodchipper...HA HA!
  3. OS is nothing without Apps by Hoolala · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Without app support, an OS, if it comes in reinforced box and a heavy manual, is at best a doorstopper. The success of a computing platform depends on the success of its OS which in turns depend on the available apps.

    --
    http://buddytrace.com/
  4. What for? by VGfort · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I used to periodically checking up on SkyOS until about 2yrs ago or so when it they announced they were going to be a commercial OS. I dont have anything wrong with them being commericial, it just lost my interest, cuz I'm not going to pay to check something out. I think most people that are into tinkering around with computers or OSes might be into it, just to see what ideas others are up to. I personally think Syllable, ReactOS and Symphony are more likely to take off than SkyOS.

  5. From a Sky OS Beta user... by cgenman · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'm actually rather fond of Sky OS. The interface is great, and the OS hasn't acquired the kruft of a mainstream OS like Windows, Linux, or OSX.

    That having been said, it doesn't run on a lot of hardware, and it doesn't run a lot of applications. Their best bet is either selling it En masse to computer manufacturers as an alternative to linux, or putting it on well-designed hardware as an elite os. Maybe work their way in with specialized hardware makers, like Car manufacturers, to build up a following.

    I'd also recommend pre-loading it on USB thumb drives, for those who can boot from a USB thumb, to help people get experience with the OS.

    --
    The ______ Agenda
    1. Re:From a Sky OS Beta user... by OmegaBlac · · Score: 5, Funny
      Their best bet is either selling it En masse to computer manufacturers as an alternative to linux
      I dunno, there this little company up in Redmond, Washington that also sells an alternative to Linux and they have been having a tough time breaking the Torvalds/Tux monopoly on the PC desktop. ;)
    2. Re:From a Sky OS Beta user... by R3d+M3rcury · · Score: 4, Insightful
      That having been said, it doesn't run on a lot of hardware [...]
      Yeah. A little note to the guys who run the website: Before you expect me to pony up 30 dollars, do me a favor and tell me what hardware is necessary for this thing to run. I was pretty sure it wouldn't run on my PowerMac G5, but I couldn't find any hardware specs to give me an idea as to what it would run on.
  6. Right... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    $30 for a bebeta OS with limited application and hardware support, with expectations of a "community" rising en masse to do the necessary work to make it usable? I wish Robert and Kelly all the luck in the world, while saying that anyone who freely gives away their work to this for-profit enterprise needs to come to work for me.

  7. What gets me about it... by martinultima · · Score: 3, Insightful

    As a lot of other posters have said, there's not very much software for it other than what they themselves provide, but there's another side of it, too – hardware. If I remember right, last time I saw anything about SkyOS (I will admit it was a while ago) there was very little hardware or software support. Couple that with the high price tag – i.e., any price tag – and lack of publically-available source code, and I honestly just don't see any reason other than the hell of it.

    Personally, if there's any "alternative" OS I hope takes off, it would have to be either Linux [insert obligatory reference to Ultima here], or one of my favorite "pet" projects, ReactOS. The nice thing about the latter is that it (will eventually) support the same software running on Windows, so if not the most ideal system – obviously, if it runs the same software, a lot of vendors may not see any reason for an open-source, Linux-compatible, etc. version of their product – at least it (will be) a somewhat practical one than a Linux system. And OpenBSD is totally kick-ass, although honestly I'd say it's probably in exactly the right place right now; those who can understand it can use it, and everyone else can stick with something better suited for them.

    DISCLAIMER: I will admit I'm a Linux dev / distro maintainer and there may be some bias here...

    --
    Creative misinterpretation is your friend.
  8. Sky-what? by (pvb)charon · · Score: 5, Funny

    Once they add decent NETworking capabilities (and rename their product accordingly), I'm sure there's quite a number of people who just can't resist.
    charon

  9. Re:I don't think so - at least for now. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    from the web-site:

    "...This is the Crystal icon pack created by the very talented Everaldo, used in SkyOS with his blessing. This icon set is also used by KDE for Linux, which is why the icon sets look similar."

  10. Re:I don't think so - at least for now. by Phil+John · · Score: 4, Informative

    As another posted pointed out it was with the creators blessing, however even that wasn't needed.

    The Crystal Icon Set is licensed under the LGPL, so basically, as long as the SkyOS team supply you with a copy of the LGPL license and a written offer of the "source" (e.g. original pngs) they can use them in a commercial application.

    There is a common misconception with some people that (L)GPL=no commercial usage. If it's GPL you can still charge (however your clients can turn around and distribute your app for free, so you'll get further charging for support). If it's LGPL you can distribute the rest of your app as closed source, as long as you provide the LGPL license and provide the source of the LGPL'd component(s) in some way for at least three years (you're even allowed to charge a reasonable fee for providing it under the terms of the license).

    --
    I am NaN
  11. Television isn't free in the UK by rklrkl · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Ever since I've been alive, television in the UK has *never* been free and I'm not talking about the "obvious" case of advertisements funding the media. In the UK, every household with a television has to pay an annual television license (and several other European countries are similar). This funds the BBC and allows it to run with no advertisements across all its properties (hence why the BBC Website is ad-free for example, though that's about to change with the "international version" I believe).

    For a long time, the UK TV license also covered radio as well, but I'm not sure that's the case now (i.e. if you have a radio, but no TV, you no longer need a license). So that's not always been free either. If you really must go on about "free television and radio", please qualify it with the country you're talking about and, of course, feel free to ignore how they aren't actually free anyway (advertisements/sponsors fund them, which ultimate comes out of the public's pocket).

  12. This is a joke, right? by rudy_wayne · · Score: 4, Insightful

    From the "System Requirements" FAQ:

    USB Devices/Hosts are currently not supported.
    Wireless Networking is currently not supported.
    SATA drives are currently not supported (if you have such an option in BIOS, try using SATA->PATA emulation).
    Printers, scanners, digital cameras and webcams are currently not supported.