[Gllug] EU patents

[Christopher Hunter]

On Tuesday 01 Jul 2003 2:25 am, Daniel Ahrens wrote:
> I can't say that the Betamax argument is a valid comparison here: if
> Betamax had the kind of user base that Linux has (in terms of numbers), I'm
> sure it would have survived.

It's actually a VERY good analogy - more enlightened consumer bases (like 
Japan) continue to use Betamax!  VHS was foisted on to us principally by the 
rental companies - there were subsidies available to support their purchasing 
the hardware, and Sony (and their camp) were either unwilling or unable to go 
down that route.

> Also, *nix has been alive and well for nearly
> 34 years now, therefore it isn't really a new idea trying to break into a
> new market.

No, but it's a relative newcomer in the eyes of the uninitiated masses.

> Even XWindows started before M$ Windoze did.

Correct, but see above.

> If I remember
> correctly (at risk of showing up my age) Betamax was quite expensive to own
> at the time, and VHS was the cheap alternative. In this case the masses
> went for the cheap alternative, like they / we almost always do.

Cost of ownership was the whole of the arguement - quality of reproduction and 
reliability were entirely forgotten.  

> There are
> other Video formats that also died eg. UMatic, but for different reasons. 
> VHS is going to die pretty soon because DVD is superior.

Most of the other formats were either unique to one manufacturer or were 
professional systems, priced way beyond the average consumer.

> The next digital
> video format is going to screw DVD and so on.

DVD is a really nasty format, but we won't get into that here!

> As Linux isn't just a format
> but a philosophy, a way of life, a way of engineering and it has a massive
> following, it can only grow.

Agreed, but it's still growing slowly.  As long as the factionalisation 
continues, we won't be seen as entirely credible.

> Anyway, I don't believe in a world where the
> powers that are can totally manipulate the masses to an extend where *nix
> will cease to exist. Vested interests or not.

Read all the M$ releases about their new BIOS (Palladium).  You can assume 
that all the bigger PC manufacturers will go along with it....

> Apart from the fact that a
> large proportion of orgs with vested interests eg. US Military are already
> heavily relying on *nix systems and also open source software like the
> embedded SQLite database engine. I also don't believe in a world where only
> Linux exists: competition is the magic ingredient that seems to spur
> people's creativity and this in turn results in new discoveries /
> inventions. But of course... world domination by *nix is certain. :)

I completely agree.  However, Bill any his cronies have the ear of most major 
Governments (you wouldn't believe their "lobbying" budget), and the attitudes 
that I see every day will continue:  

"Will I be able to use my "Sage" accounts package on this Linux?  Why not?  I 
spent a huge amount on that programme.  No - I'll stay with Windoze.  Yes - I 
know that it's not reliable, especially as we lost four days of work last 
week after a crash, and all my e-mail address book entries were mailed a 
virus from here, but we'll stay with it."

Chris

"Nobody ever went broke by underestimating the stupidity of the public"       
- Fields, frequenctly quoted by Gates


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