Comment Open Source Software will Own the OS Market (Score 1) 161
Within 10 or 20 years free software will own just about every segment of the OS market. Most likely Linux will be the top dog, though special-needs niche systems like eCOS or RTEMS for embedded development or *BSD for BSD bigots will have a place. Proprietary systems like Windows or MacOS will have a legacy existence at best.
It's not even because open source solutions will be technically superior in all ways. Maybe in some ways they won't be. MacOS is a lot more novice-friendly today than GNOME or KDE will be for a while, I'd bet. But that doesn't really matter. As long as the open source solution is technically good enough (or even close to good enough) you can't compete.
Free software makes operating systems into a commodity and proprietary systems cannot compete on a commodity level. It's true some may establish themselves as "premium" brands but it would take a damn lot of technical superiority to make the user's while.
It's not even because open source solutions will be technically superior in all ways. Maybe in some ways they won't be. MacOS is a lot more novice-friendly today than GNOME or KDE will be for a while, I'd bet. But that doesn't really matter. As long as the open source solution is technically good enough (or even close to good enough) you can't compete.
Free software makes operating systems into a commodity and proprietary systems cannot compete on a commodity level. It's true some may establish themselves as "premium" brands but it would take a damn lot of technical superiority to make the user's while.
