Microsoft Hatred FAQ

[John Bokma]

Roel Schroeven <rschroev_nospam_ml at fastmail.fm> wrote:

> John Bokma wrote:

>> web based applications that work with any browser make OS irrelevant
>> -> not true, since for OpenOffice it doesn't matter which Linux 
>> distribution one runs (or even if it's Linux), yet people seem to
>> make a point of which distribution they use.
> 
> You make the point yourself now: if web based applications work with
> any browser, people can freely choose their distribution based on
> their own preferences.

Yup, and what will they pick? 

> - An application works in IE, Firefox, Konqueror, Safari, Lynx, Links,
> Opera, ... -> users can use it with any browser on any OS

I think that we both understand that one browser will be more compatible 
then an other. It will only happen if all use exactly the same render 
engine, or all web recommendations are frozen. And if that happens, 
people selling stuff will find ways to make their version just a little 
better.

Look at processors: which one would you buy at the moment? AMD? Intel? 
and if you pick a brand, which type? As soon as products can't evolve 
much more, the producers will find ways to make them even better 
compared to last week.

> - An application only works in IE -> users are forced to use Windows
> (or one of the other few OS's that IE exists on)

Or wait until there comes a solution from a 3rd party. Force doesn't 
exists with software unless you can manipulate the law to enforce it. 
And I don't believe that everybody at Microsoft was/is that stupid to 
think they can make that something they don't controll only works with 
their software. Sure they can make it harder, like I said, you can 
always add things, especially if you are the major player, but Firefox 
is a nice proof that there is no such force, and I doubt that there are 
people working at Microsoft in major positions who didn't see this 
coming.

-- 
John                   Small Perl scripts: http://johnbokma.com/perl/
               Perl programmer available:     http://castleamber.com/
                                        I ploink googlegroups.com :-)