Is it possible for Linux (or something like it) to become a serious competitor to Windows?

hammo1j

Donor
Windows beats Linux hands down.

Like Office it's starting to creak though. Something open source built from the ground up with all we learnt over 30 years could take a market share, but no commercial would dare more than reheat old Linux, even Google.
 

Dathi THorfinnsson

hammo1j said:
Windows beats Linux hands down.
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Hee hee. Modern windows? Yeah - although that's more a RESULT of its dominance (all the developers working programs for that platform, and MS having gobs of money), rather than the cause.

Believe me, before W3.1 came out, it wasn't a threat to anyone. Everyone KNEW that a proper multitasking OS was the way to go, and even W3.1 had DOS as its OS. It turned out that received wisdom wasn't quite as wise as believed.

I was around at the time, reading all the latest developments. You young whippersnappers have no clue. ( :) ;):p )
 

Johnrankins

Dathi THorfinnsson said:
Hee hee. Modern windows? Yeah - although that's more a RESULT of its dominance (all the developers working programs for that platform, and MS having gobs of money), rather than the cause.

Believe me, before W3.1 came out, it wasn't a threat to anyone. Everyone KNEW that a proper multitasking OS was the way to go, and even W3.1 had DOS as its OS. It turned out that received wisdom wasn't quite as wise as believed.

I was around at the time, reading all the latest developments. You young whippersnappers have no clue. ( :) ;):p )
Click to expand...

There was a problem that true multitasking was difficult for PCs at the time of 3.1. It came out in 1992. The microchip that it was built for was the 80286, and 80386. The amount of memory of PCs at that time was pretty limited as was CPU speed. It probably could do true multitasking, but barely. The 286 had only a 16 bit chip at merely 12.5 hertz. Considering the hardware limitations of the time I don't think not having true multitasking was a bad thing at the time.
 

oberdada

Gone Fishin'
bsmart said:
The big chance for a Unix version to become the standard for PCs was when SCO (Santa Cruz Operations) was asked by IBM to come in and make a presentation. It was the PC teams choice for an operating system. The CEO of SCO at the time always made a game of getting to airline flights at the last minute as they were closing the door and getting them to open it to let him on board. On his flight to the IBM meeting he got there as the door had just clicked closed and they would not open the door to let him board. There were stories floating around the Unix world that there was an FAA inspector evaluating the airline operations that day so the airline followed the rules to the letter that day. He missed the flight and by the time he made the next one he had missed the meeting. IBM upper management decided that they didn't want to deal with a company run by someone with such a cavalier attitude. The next day was a meeting with a young developer who had gotten an entre because his motrher was on the board of the Seattle United Appeal with a senior IBM Exec. He showed up and made a competent presentation.
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But wasn't he a couple of minutes late, because his business partners made him buy a tie ?
 
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