Most people are locked in by the fact that most other people use only Microsoft software. This leads to hardware only working with Windows
And how many websites now rely on Google Maps, Google Search or other features for the site to work correctly?
Not that many, really. At least, not in my experience.
These Google features are good enough that competitors offerings are not used by anyone
But they are. Mapquest is still in use in many places, and The Weather Channel just went with Microsoft's mapping software for their new interactive weather map, much to my chagrin. Personally, I run into a great many online apps that don't use Google (particularly after they started going after mashups).
Compare this to Windows. How many apps are Windows-only? How much hardware only supports Windows? How many people are trained only in Windows?
Heck, check out MS Office. How many researchers have locked themselves into MS Office through EndNote or RefMan? How many people use some little MS Office add-on that (of course) won't work with anything but MS Office?
I think we're talking about orders of magnitude difference here.
patents ARE a huge threat to competition and ARE a monopolistic anti-competitive method to kill competition.
Agreed, but what does this have to do with Google, particularly since you're pooh-pooh'ing Microsoft, who is actively threatening with their patent portfolio?
do you really want every buyer to cobble together their own regardless of skill level and needs?
If they want to, why not? Why prohibit/prevent OEMs from cobbling together cars? There's more than just Microsoft selling Windows to users.
I'm eating babies for you, the end users!
Actually, the phrase was "knif[ing the] baby". You might want to brush up on your Microsoftisms (Microsoftie Handbook 37a, page 93). And it was most certainly not done for the users.
Then it's a poorly designed vehicle and you shouldn't buy it in the first place.
But all of the roads are Designed for MaxiSarf Vehicle 2001 and later! There are all these weird quirks that the Linnos guys eventually work around, but it takes some time (and there are a lot of potholes on those roads!)
Besides, whenever I go buy a new house, I am forced to buy a MaxiSarf car!
the issue being discussed isn't impossible to replace functionality
Actually, it is. Namely, you can't completely remove the Microsoft search functionality from Vista, nor is it possible to integrate competing offerings as well (e.g. the search pane in Explorer).
what could have come about from the Mozilla-GNOME collaboration several years back if people had been as dedicated to Mozilla/XUL/XBL as they are to Microsoft/Silverlight/.Net. I think it's kind of sad, personally.
We spend $7 billion a year on R&D, our shareholders expect us to protect or license or get economic benefit from our patented innovations. So how do we somehow get the appropriate economic return for our patented innovation
This isn't a mere statement of "fact". It's a threat. Or how do you construe this?
There's a HUGE difference between Amy Lee saying "Hey, that guitar solo's right out of The Open Door" and her saying "I'm suing you for making an unlawful derivative work."
Within your example, you're correct. However, in context, when Microsoft is saying that Linux infringes on some of their patents, their purpose seems to be threatening Linux users with the potential infringement lawsuits. Or why else would they be doing so?
I don't think Microsoft is actually threatening to sue anybody over patents that GNU/Linux may violate.
Microsoft says they have 235 patents that seem to be violated,
These two statements are contradictory.
Who would step in when Dell gets sued for patent infringement in Ubuntu?
How about we go with "Canonical"? Of course, Red Hat has patent idemnification as does Novell, so the answer for those distros is similar, but publically stated.
With Linux I think there is a bit of uncertainty over who will take responsibility.
As illustrated above, Red Hat has publically stated their patent idemnification. Therefore, there is no uncertainty if you use them. I believe Novell has such a statement as well, but I'm not certain.
Well, I know that it has some level of compatibility, because it's prompted me when I've loaded some documents in OO.o in the company I'm interning at.
That said, there was an initiative to add VBA support to OOo that was announced by Novell/Sun a little while after the Novell/MS thing. That may have just been to add a fully-equal VBA language in addition to the Java, StarBASIC and python languages that are supported.
It's just that Wolfram still indulges in practices that the rest of the closed-source software industry has given up on: charging as much as they can get away with, and putting piracy prevention ahead of customer experience.
I find it hilarious that you claim this with a straight face, in light of XP/Vista's WGA/OGA and other such misfeatures.
A black box code is antithetical to this principle.
True, that. Plus, when I called them on the phone to ask about updates, they asked me to verify that I had run into an issue before they would tell me if there were any pending bugfixes.
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'cause I'll start buying blu-ray movies when the encryption is cracked!
Plus, its student edition won't require you to have the Documentation CD mounted.
#!%!! fascists
Either way, the point is firmly made that buying a Linux PC should prevent this problem.
If you want some pointers on installing Ubuntu on your laptop, please ask away and I'll see what I can do to help.
It's not much of an experiment if they hide the choice from the users.
Mod parent up! (Lack of) hardware support due to PCs being "Designed for Windows" is the reason Linux has its reputation for being hard to install.
I think the Linux users are pretty happy about saving $50 for not having to buy Windows. I know I am.
But all of the roads are Designed for MaxiSarf Vehicle 2001 and later! There are all these weird quirks that the Linnos guys eventually work around, but it takes some time (and there are a lot of potholes on those roads!)
Besides, whenever I go buy a new house, I am forced to buy a MaxiSarf car!
Actually, it is. Namely, you can't completely remove the Microsoft search functionality from Vista, nor is it possible to integrate competing offerings as well (e.g. the search pane in Explorer).what could have come about from the Mozilla-GNOME collaboration several years back if people had been as dedicated to Mozilla/XUL/XBL as they are to Microsoft/Silverlight/.Net. I think it's kind of sad, personally.
I don't recall MSFT having ever sued for patent infringement. OTOH, threatening is something that they seem to be doing every 5 minutes.
Well, I know that it has some level of compatibility, because it's prompted me when I've loaded some documents in OO.o in the company I'm interning at. That said, there was an initiative to add VBA support to OOo that was announced by Novell/Sun a little while after the Novell/MS thing. That may have just been to add a fully-equal VBA language in addition to the Java, StarBASIC and python languages that are supported.
and physics In fact, they have their own document classes....
Indeed, I am using some free software. Doesn't mean that I can't call a spade a spade (or a scam a scam in this case).
At 1.056k USD, let us just say that the academic price is outside of my price range!
Ah. Unfortunately for me, the "long time" to which you're referring is a year to a year and a half in my case. So not at all useful for me. :(
I don't see a special situation when you get a PhD. (Please tell me if there is one I missed, because it might be good for me to just, ehm, know...)
I find it hilarious that you claim this with a straight face, in light of XP/Vista's WGA/OGA and other such misfeatures.
A black box code is antithetical to this principle. True, that. Plus, when I called them on the phone to ask about updates, they asked me to verify that I had run into an issue before they would tell me if there were any pending bugfixes.