Originally posted by Istanbul
Actually, it's a safe bet that Sony could do it. I assure you, they've got their fingers in a *lot* of pots.
But people use Windows because it's user-friendly, moreso than Linux/Unix/whatever. I have yet to actually hear of any monopoly tactics other than making a product so good that everyone wants to use it.
I wasn't going to post again, but I had to respond to this...
Sony??? Sony has one small problem. While I agree that Sony could try, I disagree that they could do it. For one simple reason. If it didn't work, Sony would likely go under. If it doesn't work for Microsoft, just another day at the office...
If your Window's argument were true, why did people buy PCs in the first place? Apple computers were running a window style interface long before PCs and yet people were still buying the PC over the Mac. Why? After all, anyone who knows about the technology at the time knows that Apple computers were technologically supperior to IBMs.
The reason is simple and it has nothing to do with user friendliness. It has to do with the programs availible. Microsoft was shrewd enough as a company to realize that to become popular, you have to have people designing software. After all, without software, a computer is nothing more than an expensive paperweight.
Apple shot themselves in the foot when they didn't want to share system commands. They intentionally wanted to be the only developer for their own machine. By the time they saw the error of their ways, they were nearly out of the market.
Unix, and more specifically Lynex, have promoted the freeware concept. The goal is for nothing to cost anything, or as little as possible. Great idea, but try to get a serious developer to go along with it.
However, X-Windows runs very nicely on unix and gives a very nice look and feel. some would argue that it was a more user-friendly look and feel than Windows. I won't make that claim myself, but leave it up to the individual.
But besides all that, you say people use Windows because they like it. People prefer it over what, specifically? I'd guess that half of the computer users out there have never even heard of unix and another half of those who have have no idea what it is. Very few know what X-windows is. I'm guessing you have not used that either based on your posts, but I could be wrong.