The Linux desktop 050310 1707

If the mbutt market is indeed under the thumb of Microsoft, and I do not accept that it is, they are willing victims at the least. Microsoft wasn't born with any monopoly or even high market share. They built a market for their products and they built their products over a period of time by supplying what people asked for at a fair price. DRI wanted $300 for their OS when PCDOS was $50 retail. Maybe CP-M-86 was better, but not by enough of a margin to justify the price. DRI tried to gouge the consumer. Microsoft tried to win the consumer's business. Microsoft had the better plan.

Microsoft has a plan to continue to provide platform software that meets user wants and needs. They do that so that the consumers continue to give them their money when it is time to buy a new workstation or server. Linux, if you want to believe the OSS philosophy, has developers who are interested in furthering their own art and satisfy customer demands as a serendipbreastous thing. They are like the drivers giving free rides to the hitchhikers who want to go the same way. Microsoft is running a taxi service for those who want to go to a particular place.