[Ham-Linux] Take ACER Off and question on another topic

[match at ece.utah.edu]

On 30 Jul 2009 at 15:41, kd4e wrote:

> Odd that MS invests so much energy in bad-mouthing and 
> monopolistic
> practices specifically targeted against Linux if it is such 
> a harmless OS.

Well, I didn't say that Linux was harmless, but it's all relative. Look at it this 
way: Microsofts revenue is $46 BILLION per year. One percent of that is 
$460 MILLION. 

Even I would bad-mouth Linux for $460 million, and so would you!

So, even though Microsoft is pretty secure in it's market share, there's still 
$460 million to try and get back.

Now back to Acer...  If you accept my 1% number for the Linux market share, 
then supporting Linux on their laptops would net them an increase in sales of 
1%. If it were profitable to invest in development and especially support of 
drivers for Linux, including all the various 260-odd distros, they would be 
doing so. It is not profitable.

Or, they could support only MS, use a call-center in India staffed with 
minimum-wage housewives who read a script from a book to provide 
"support", and call it good. (not to disparage any of my friends in India who 
work in call-centers!)
 
> BTW:  If you visit both your MS and Linux groups you will 
> likely find
> that the larger size of the MS group is due to the thousands 
> of security
> and stability defects in the various versions of their OS -- 
> they *need*
> more help!  ;-)

LOL!

If only... In my experience, those who need help due to security threats and 
stability issues don't know it, and those that know it don't need it!

Marvin
KA7TPH