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SubjectRe: WLinux, kinda [OFFTOPIC] comment
Date
> > The WLinux idea (high level):
> >
> > Create a configuration and distribution of Linux that will run 'under'
> > Win95 and WinNT using virtual device stubs to access native device
>
> Sounds like a decent idea but.. Have you taken into account the fact that
> when windows crashes (heh) so will WLinux? Besides, call me paranoid if

Oh yes, I realized that and just forgot to list it in the Cons...
This doesn't make a Better Linux, just a more pervasive Linux.
That is still a Win.

> you want, but if you give problems to Gates be sure he'll find a way to
> either buy it or make it useless with some new feature that is needed
> for windows to work and that renders WLinux unoperative.

> Let's face it, if all keeps going the way it's going now, we'll soon see
> how microsoft really dominates the pc scene both in the software and
> hardware layer, and as stated in linux-kernel before, linux users will
> have to use sucky win98 stuff, use alternative (and prolly low
> performance) hardware or move to some other architecture.

MS must tread carefully. If the corporate mentality begins to fear or
chafe at MS's monopoly like many of us, they will run like lemmings.
Remember that IBM had an effective monopoly on corporate computing for
MANY years.

The method I outlined I believe can be acheived no matter what MS does
as long as you can write a kernel-level device driver. This shouldn't
be a problem for a long time because Win95, for instance, doesn't even
have true Ring0. (Apps can't interfere with each other, but any 32bit
app can touch anything in the OS.)

I think that a direct attack by MS will only validate Linux in the
Corporate world. Right now MS acts like Linux doesn't exist and many
corporate customers will therefore assume that it's not competitive.
Let MS TRY to compare the OS's on any rational basis (and PRICE can
never be left out of a corporate comparison) and see how they fare.

> If ms can scare OEMs enough so they keep installing IE, or to keep silence
> of why they don't install it, and with all that win98/pc99 rumours
> floating around, why don't you think we are about to say bye to our x86?
>
> - "Hey look, this new card is for windows and only $xx!"
> - "Yes, but it's braindead and will hurt your performance. Take that one
> over there. Besides, it's not an ope.."
> - "Why that one?"
> - "Because it's better, sinc.."
> - "But I can do the same with this one, it's cheaper, and its for windows!"
>
> Just because windows has such a big share of the OS market, in who do you
> think manufacturers will focus? Joe Winloser, or Joe Linuxer? With who do
> you feel they will make more money?

We need to get a critical mass of niches and make it clear to
manufacturers that Linux needs to be supported. Already we've seen
that suppliers breaking into the market sometimes give support to
Linux to get that niche.

I'm not too worried about hardware support.

First, I believe there will be legal challenges to making the PC market closed,

second, reverse engineering 'to obtain interfaces' is legal in Europe and
somewhat in the US,

third, many types of hardware are settling down to very clear winners,
most of which have no reason to be closed. (FireWire, Fibre Channel,
USB, the BT848 for video (I recently went through 8 different cards,
all using one of two versions of this chip).

> Of course, it might result in people buying more, say, alphas, and the
> price of those alphas going doooown even more so the price/performance
> ratio is quite more competitive and incentivates people to buy. Me? Nobody
> is going to force me to use such $%^# hardware (and by extension, only
> what Gates wants me to run), and I hope there are more people out of there
> with the same opinion.
>
> *sigh* Long Live Linux! :) .. and sorry for the rambling.
>
> ____/| Ragnar Hojland (tech.support@redestb.es) [LLL] Fingerprint 94C4B
> \ o.O| 2F0D27DE025BE2302C
> =(_)= "Thou shalt not follow the NULL pointer for 104B78C56 B72F0822
> U chaos and madness await thee at its end." hkp://keys.pgp.com
>
>


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