This is my view on the OS wars, a mish-mash of fact, un-facts, misconceptions, confusion, and assumptions, and a prediction of the future of Operating Systems.
Browser Wars:
1. Windows ships with IE, The EU does not like like this, they want people to have a choice...I'm using Firefox on Windows, how is that possible? *laughs*
2. MacOS ships with Safari, the EU has no issue with that, odd...
3. Chrome OS will probably ship with...wait for it.... the Chrome browser.
OS Wars:
1. Windows is an evolving OS with a few tailored variants, like consumer and server etc.
2. MacOS is an evolving OS, main focus is consumers/pros.
3. Chrome OS will be an evolving OS, main focus is light consumers.
4. Linux OS doesn't exist, there is hundreds of OS based on the Linux kernel (where Chrome OS is one and MacOS use a Unix variant which is a cousin of Linux?), they all share a evolving kernel, but the OS themselves does not evolve in sync so to newcomers it seems very schizophrenic.
Proprietary OS Issues:
1. Windows is a pretty proprietary OS, few parts of it are open at all.
2. MacOS, I have no clue on this (I'm not developing on a Mac), the whole thing is pretty much proprietary, and you can only use it on Mac hardware which makes the whole thing really proprietary. (no normal user would try to hack it onto other hardware).
3. Chrome OS, this will probably be the most open "mainstream" OS.
4. Linux...it's still not an OS, it's just a kernel. Which means that none of the OS based on this actually pull in the same direction, they all try to be "THE Linux OS", until one of them gets 90%+ of the Linux market, Linux will never be able to compete against MacOS, let alone Windows, and heck... not even Chrome OS, as Chrome OS may actually achieve what all other Linux based OS have failed to do so far.
Conclusion?:
1. Windows is big, maybe too big, it needs more competition to be able to dramatically improve.
2. Mac is greedy, they could compete but are too busy leeching peoples wallets.
3. Linux...it's been too long, your too late, you have pulled in 100 different directions, unify or die, sorry guys.
3. Chrome OS, the first real competitor to Windows and Mac, and it's not even available yet. A big company backing it, open source, a unified direction (Google team won't add/change stuff willy nilly like many Linux releases does).
Prediction!: (next +3 years)
1. Windows in a few years will have 50% market share.
2. MacOS will be pretty much similar to today.
3. Popularity of Linux based OS will be less than currently.
4. Chrome OS will have 25%+ market share.
But only if Chrome OS succeeds!
And before Linux fanbois go ballistic, remember that Chrome OS is also Linux. And since Chrome OS is open source, you could always branch off the source a few years from now if you don't like it.
But until Chrome OS is properly established in the market, support it with all the might of your Linux loving heart, as Chrome OS could become the rallying point the Linux community need to break through that seemingly invincible Windows wall. ..and maybe scare the shit out of MacOS as well so Apple will lower costs and make it available to the generic PC platform as well. |
