a Blue Screen : The Great OS Debate

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The Great OS Debate

Clearly the Geek community is outspoken on this issue: Microsoft’s seemingly unearned Monopoly is coming to a close. Ask a “power user” their OS of choice, and you’ll hear Mac or Linux more times than Vista. In fact, Vista is more a curse word, evoking visceral hatred from hardcore computer folk.

There’s a lot of analysis on this issue, much more than I can even begin to wade through. I just marvel at both the massive contempt Windows has created and a certain apathetic allegiance most consumers have made with the crooked flag. I think the bottom line always comes down to this:

Linux is too hard
Mac is too expensive

Sure, Justin Long may sway a few folks to fork over that extra grand on a Macbook Air, but I think we’re ultimately a bottom-line country of consumers. If an American walks into a big box store with no prior information, they’re gonna pick up a PC nine times out of ten because they’re everywhere and they’re dirt cheap. You can get an Acer laptop with a $100 bill and get change back. Sure it comes loaded with Chinese viruses and has the lifespan of a mosquito, but as long as it gets us to YouTube, most folks are none the wiser.

Yeah, Microsoft is arrogant and peddles an inferior product more times than not, but people continue to eat at McDonalds in spite of countless health warnings and continue to watch Lost even though the show will never end or give you closure. We just don’t learn very well. That’s not to say we never will, but it is a long process for most of us.

- George

Good Money article: http://apple20.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2009/05/17/would-bill-gates-have-aired-laptop-hunters/

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