Showing messages 1 through 3 of 3.

• Bullseye!
  2003-11-14 10:35:20  anonymous2 [Reply | View]
  
  
  You're totally right! It's a frequent mistake in marketing to look at the market leader, and assume you can catch up to him or surpass him by doing the same thing he's doing. It never works. Forget about trying to write open office for Linux. Even it worked perfectly like MS office, it would not increase the number of desktop Linux users.
  
  The only way to catch up is to aim to be number 2, and the number 2 solution always presents itself as *the alternative* to the number 1. It does this by emphasizing the ways it is opposite to the number 1, or not like the number 1. How is Linux not like Windows? No virsus? Install once, never patch? Brilliant people use Linux. Make people want to join that club with some hokey catch-phrase like, "Be brilliant. Use Linux."
  
  It's counter intuitive at first, but the only way to approach number 1 is to aim to be number 2.

• Bullseye!
  2003-11-13 10:05:27  anonymous2 [Reply | View]
  
  
  First off Linux is far from being a copycat of windows. It is largely derived from Unix (which windows has also 'borrowed' from on many occasions). KDE and GNOME on the other hand are very similar to Explorer (the windows GUI).
  
  "The new computing paradigm must so compelling... ", blah, blah. Are you serious? Has T-Mobile or Cingular redefined cellular service. No. People (and companies) switch vendors when they are unhappy with their product or found a way to save money. You must only provide a viable option. You are correct in that 3rd party vendors must support your platform but you might be surprised how many already do or how many windows compatible alternatives exist.
  
  The redirection you speak of such as new file systems leaves much to debate. As for upgrading the software with only changes to the GUI, what do you think XP was? New graphics, a small handful of new features, slower performance (compared to w2k) and ... oh wait, that's it.
  
  New direction will come but you must realize the computer age is still in it's infancy. We haven't even realized the potential of computing (much less implemented it). 30 years after the first home was available you still had to have an operator connect your call. Not exactly what I would call the peak of that technology.
  
  We are still going uphill and will be for a long time so sit back and enjoy the show.
  
  As for the $40B giant, just remember what happened to Ma Bell.
  

• Bullseye!
  2003-11-13 08:51:38  anonymous2 [Reply | View]
  
  
  I think that if projections are correct in that the next home computing wave is HTPC's....and since you can basically integrate TIVO, MP3, DVD, DVD Burn, FM/AM, cable TV, etc into one linux box....
  
  
  hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..............
  
  thinking outside the box...........anyone with me?