There are plenty of Linux based OS's for sale (Suse, Mandiva, Redhat Enterprise), you can kid yourself if you want but if your paying for the software/support whatever the only difference is somantics. For example:
http://store.mandriva.com/index.php?cPath=88
or
http://shop.novell.com/store/novelleu/DisplayCategoryProductListPage/categoryID.3422100
or
https://www.redhat.com/apps/store/desktop/
You know it really does look like they are selling Linux there, all those "Buy Now" signs, maybe I'm mistaken, but I don't think so.
I think Websters (my previous link for the definition), Dictionary.com (Random House) or in fact any of the other professional sources carry more weight than Wikipedia (which is only as good as the last edit).
If you take a monopoly as this:
mo·nop·o·ly Audio Help /məˈnɒpəli/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[muh-nop-uh-lee] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun, plural -lies. 1. exclusive control of a commodity or service in a particular market, or a control that makes possible the manipulation of prices. Compare duopoly, oligopoly.
2. an exclusive privilege to carry on a business, traffic, or service, granted by a government.
3. the exclusive possession or control of something.
4. something that is the subject of such control, as a commodity or service.
5. a company or group that has such control.
6. the market condition that exists when there is only one seller.
It's pretty obvious Microsoft doesn't have one on the OS market. There are plenty of other commercial OS's available, that they arn't very popular is NOT Microsoft's fault. Apple's OS does count as a commercial OS, if they want to include T&C's on the hardware you can use then they need to be legal but that doesn't make it not an alternative. Neither does Solaris's comparitively small market share (~2M) make it irrelevant, it's still a choice there, IF you want it.
Microsoft have argued (and I think it is justified) that the small utility programs they include in the OS are part of the OS and are not intended to shtudown competitor companies and I don't see this as being so. Netscape went out of business because it didn't evolve, get over it.
Cygnus, how can you know what Microsoft want? Who is Microsoft? Where are you getting your info from ?
Can you think of any business where a company is compelled to supply competitor products with it's own product? Wouldn't it be like Mc Donald's being compelled to offer KFC chicken as well as their own if they include chicken on their menu?
As long as you can choose whichever media player you want, what't the problem? Microsoft give you one for free, don't like it, use another or write your own, they don't care and they won't MAKE you use anything. What's wrong with giving people a Media Player for free out of the box and letting them choose? Or do you think people too stupid to decide for themselves, or are you worried they won't make the "right" choice? My daughter really likes Media Player because she likes the visualisations it does, is that wrong?
If you don't want to buy Windows, you don't have to, nobody is going to make you and there ARE alternatives there, if you want them, so why all the crying foul?
Darkheart
http://store.mandriva.com/index.php?cPath=88
or
http://shop.novell.com/store/novelleu/DisplayCategoryProductListPage/categoryID.3422100
or
https://www.redhat.com/apps/store/desktop/
You know it really does look like they are selling Linux there, all those "Buy Now" signs, maybe I'm mistaken, but I don't think so.
I think Websters (my previous link for the definition), Dictionary.com (Random House) or in fact any of the other professional sources carry more weight than Wikipedia (which is only as good as the last edit).
If you take a monopoly as this:
mo·nop·o·ly Audio Help /məˈnɒpəli/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[muh-nop-uh-lee] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun, plural -lies. 1. exclusive control of a commodity or service in a particular market, or a control that makes possible the manipulation of prices. Compare duopoly, oligopoly.
2. an exclusive privilege to carry on a business, traffic, or service, granted by a government.
3. the exclusive possession or control of something.
4. something that is the subject of such control, as a commodity or service.
5. a company or group that has such control.
6. the market condition that exists when there is only one seller.
It's pretty obvious Microsoft doesn't have one on the OS market. There are plenty of other commercial OS's available, that they arn't very popular is NOT Microsoft's fault. Apple's OS does count as a commercial OS, if they want to include T&C's on the hardware you can use then they need to be legal but that doesn't make it not an alternative. Neither does Solaris's comparitively small market share (~2M) make it irrelevant, it's still a choice there, IF you want it.
Microsoft have argued (and I think it is justified) that the small utility programs they include in the OS are part of the OS and are not intended to shtudown competitor companies and I don't see this as being so. Netscape went out of business because it didn't evolve, get over it.
Cygnus, how can you know what Microsoft want? Who is Microsoft? Where are you getting your info from ?
Can you think of any business where a company is compelled to supply competitor products with it's own product? Wouldn't it be like Mc Donald's being compelled to offer KFC chicken as well as their own if they include chicken on their menu?
As long as you can choose whichever media player you want, what't the problem? Microsoft give you one for free, don't like it, use another or write your own, they don't care and they won't MAKE you use anything. What's wrong with giving people a Media Player for free out of the box and letting them choose? Or do you think people too stupid to decide for themselves, or are you worried they won't make the "right" choice? My daughter really likes Media Player because she likes the visualisations it does, is that wrong?
If you don't want to buy Windows, you don't have to, nobody is going to make you and there ARE alternatives there, if you want them, so why all the crying foul?
Darkheart