Please note that I agree with Peter's analysis of the market for freed software. I have just a few bits and nits to disagree with. L. Peter Deutsch writes: > A free (I'm using the word in its common meaning of "cost-free" here) OS is > irrelevant (i.e., not attractive enough to draw users) if the applications > aren't cost-free, because Windows 95 is bundled with essentially every PC > sold today (i.e., 90% of all hardware units), and, from the purchaser's > point of view, costs nothing. Ahhh, but from the computer assembler/reseller, it certainly *does* cost something, and that will (if there's market demand for machines with Linux) be reflected in the price. > Maybe Caldera's intention is simply to build up DR DOS to the point where it > can run Windows applications. In theory, this could draw some OS $$ away > from Microsoft. The problem with this approach is that (1) Microsoft keeps > raising the bar on what constitutes Windows faster than any modest-size > outside team of programmers can clone it (e.g., today it would have to be > W95), This is a stated part of their business plan. > (2) Microsoft doesn't document its APIs nearly well enough to make > good cloning feasible without time-consuming reverse engineering, This, too. > and (3) Microsoft now makes most of its money from things other > than the OS, and is obviously heading even further that way. Yes, but. The reason they've been able to raise and raise the price for DOS and Windows is because they keep bundling more and more software with the OS. Look at Quarterdeck. Look at the various TCP/IP stack companies: they all do applications now. And if you believe the Dept of Justice (and Netscape), Microsoft is using their control of the defacto operating system to come out with applications first. As they change the APIs (to prevent cloning), the applications need to use the APIs. Since Microsoft application programmers get to see them first, they get to program to them first. So "all the good apps" come from Microsoft. -russ <nelson@crynwr.com> http://www.crynwr.com/~nelson Crynwr Software sells packet driver support | PGP ok 521 Pleasant Valley Rd. | +1 315 268 1925 voice | Corporations persuade; Potsdam, NY 13676 | +1 315 268 9201 FAX | governments coerce.