[Am-info] 30% (Geoffrey).

[Marcus de Geus]

In reply to a message from "Geoffrey" <esoteric@3times25.net> dated 2001-12=
-17 15:46:23 -0500 (Mon):

> I totally disagree.  Most people these days do not see a PC and the OS
> as two things, therefore the thought of wishing for another OS would
> never come to mind.
> ...
> Alternative tool, maybe, "alternative 'something they can't even define"
> I very seriously doubt. 

Perhaps not, but they can still wish that they had an alternative to their =
<PC_running_an_OS_which_they_known_nothing_about>. So, my argument still st=
ands, which is that 30% of <PC_running_WinDOS> users may wish they had some=
thing else to work with instead, even if they knew nothing about the altern=
atives, or were convinced that no alternatives existed. Note the absence of=
 'OS' in my phrasing.

> You're stretching this whole discussion tremendously.  The original
> post, I assure you was that 30% of PC users wanted an alternative OS.  I
> still find that number terribly hard to believe.

Agreed, if those 30% specifically stated they would "like to try another op=
erating system" or words to that effect. I have a suspicion that the 30% we=
're talking about merely voiced their discontent with their current systems=
 (which, possibly without their users knowing anything about OSes, were run=
ning WinDOS), and that the term 'OS' was added by whoever interpreted the f=
igures. In which case one might be forgiven for wondering why the figure is=
 as low as it is purported to be.

> Most PC users don't even know how lousy M$ OSs are, because they know
> nothing else.  There are very few people who wonder what could be
> better.  Just as there were very few people who wonder about electric
> lights and horseless carriages.  The truly forward thinking are the ones
> who come up with these thoughts and therefore these things we call
> inventions.

Very true. But brilliant inventions still need demand to succeed, which is =
where the ignorant but discontented masses come in. So, if only Microsoft w=
ere forced to give up its stranglehold on the PC market, the 30% mentioned =
earlier might get to know about the existence of alternatives, and who know=
s, a year from now they might be using OS/2, or, if their needs are simple,=
 Linux. #;-)

Regards,

Marcus de Geus
--
marcus@degeus.com
http://www.degeus.com