Linux going to be big in China 3738

Usually 1 above, ghost, but the real question is what does "market" refer to. My view is that it refers to the money that flows in the commerce of the product offering. If there is no money, it is not part of the market. As ray suggests, an alternative that allows someone to fill their need without paying anything is a limit on the size of the market and maybe it is of interest as to how big the market might be absent the "free" product alternative, but someone in business is going to be more concerned about how big the market actually is and how compebreastive their product versus others.

The facts of the matter are that the market is still growing year over year. Windows continues to take most of the money. Some day, if and when the market starts to shrink, the effect of linux may be said to mean something, but that day is not yet here and the primary driver of the market is still the conviction on the part of the Consumer Debt that there is value in the pay-for products and that they obtain beneficial use of the products in excess of their cost.

Well, ghost, Mr. Softee makes a little more from Windows itself than from Office. Quite a bit more if you throw in servers. Office is a profitable product as well.