Reply to post: Re: Windows isn't free

Microsoft frees Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 from the shackles of, er, Windows?

Snake Silver badge

Re: Windows isn't free

The *point* being is that's it's included in the price of the preconfigured hardware as purchased. It is not "free" but it is "invisible", just as ABS isn't "free" but part-and-parcel of the entire package. It is the cost of driving now, just as having an OS is the cost of personal computing - and most people pick a PAID OS because of support.

Computers comes preconfigured and fully operational from the supplier with the OS included. If something goes Boom! you have someone to hold responsible, someone to call, not 'just go on the internet forum and ask for help!' and hope that, maybe in the next 2 days or so (?), you'll find someone to help you fix your problem.

No? A "free OS" is the solution, regardless of the fact that paid-for Red Hat is the most popular Linux distro for servers out there?

You're still missing the point. All you FOSS heads just LOVE missing the point or redirecting it to service your own agenda. A $70 to $100 included-OS fee is irrelevant on a hardware purchase if that fee is necessary to get the device servicing the necessary projects. Very few people, after spending $800 to $3000 on a workstation, try to figure out the OS value of the purchase (maybe $60 or less for the licensing at Dell-level volumes?) and then try to penny-pinch their way into saving some money there.

And Red Hat is proof that the same qualifications apply to servers: not many businesses will go out and drop $10,000 to $60,000 on a server, only to hear the PFY say "Hey, there's this free OS, plenty of support from FORUMS, let's use that!"...and get a "Yes!" from management.

It just isn't done except for the fanatic-level FOSS supporters who end up being, frankly, utterly contrarian - some people just use and fervently support Linux because it isn't 'The Man'. As Mark Shuttleworth notes

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/04/10/mark_shuttleworth_says_some_free_software_contributors_are_deeply_anti_social/

The OS fee is pretty irrelevant if it means being able to run your software, solve your problems, and get your projects done. Period. End of story. You'll try to reply, to rewrite reality to service your personal...agenda...but you can't, although you'll downvote me, answer me back, and try anyway. The Linux desktop market share is tiny and will always stay tiny because FOSS-heads miss this strategic point: it's not the OS, it's the software, stupid. I've been saying that for DECADES after trying/using Linux myself (ooh, didn't know that I did, huh??) but you guys just won't listen, you'd rather try to tell everyone how right you are.

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