[OpenIndiana-discuss] 2014 April 8

[Bob Friesenhahn]

On Fri, 7 Feb 2014, Jonathan Adams wrote:
>
> Do you think that because Microsoft stop creating patches that it will lose
> significant market share? I'm not sure I even want to think about the fact
> that a large proportion of those 30% of computers are not even kept patched

Systems running Windows XP are not a "market".  They were part of a 
"market" quite a few years ago.  For every Windows XP system still 
actively used to browse the internet, there are probably two more 
still left turned on.  Most of these systems are best recycled into 
plastic powder rather than reused since they are slow and bad for the 
environment.

> Even then, I wouldn't move the average Joe to OpenIndiana, I'd move them to
> Linux.  In terms of user accessibility and usability (and general

Evidence strongly suggests that the days of PC-style desktops are 
over.  Microsoft just changed its top management and selected 
management with cloud expertise, Dell went private due to dwindling 
sales, HP's PC division is suffering, and Sony's Vaio division is 
being sold.  The desktop PC market is collapsing fast at perhaps 30% 
reduction in sales per year.  The new normal has not been found yet.

Illumos-based systems are well positioned to provide the back-end 
servers and cloud computing that mobile and thin clients need now and 
in the future.  This bright future in infrastructure need not distract 
from our desire to also use it as a GUI desktop for common usages.

Bob
-- 
Bob Friesenhahn
bfriesen at simple.dallas.tx.us, http://www.simplesystems.org/users/bfriesen/
GraphicsMagick Maintainer,    http://www.GraphicsMagick.org/