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From: Andrzej Matuch <andrzej@matu.ch>
Subject: Re: cpu-x
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Date: 15 May 2024 18:32:18 GMT
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On Wed, 15 May 2024 14:04:34 +0000, RonB wrote:

> On 2024-05-14, Andrzej Matuch <andrzej@matu.ch> wrote:
>> On Mon, 13 May 2024 22:54:36 +0000, Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:
>>
>>> On 13 May 2024 12:14:27 GMT, Andrzej Matuch wrote:
>>> 
>>>> ... explain how it is the _software_ that is making them money,
>>>> and not the _support_ for that software.
>>> 
>>> It is the support that is making the money. That is the point, after
>>> all.
>>> 
>>> Ever heard of “give away the razor, sell the razorblades”? That’s how
>>> Free Software works.
>>
>> So, it would be beneficial to open-source developers to make sure that
>> their software breaks easily and crashes, so as to sell the support.
>> Gotcha.
> 
> Yeah, that would be brilliant, because customers would flock by the
> droves to useless, crap software... But you may have something, people
> keep using crap Microsoft Windows even though their "customers" are
> really Microsoft's unpaid beta testers.

They use Windows because it's what they got on the computer they purchased 
which cost less than a similar Mac. Considering how Windows can run on 
just about any hardware and support every third-party peripheral they plug 
into it, they are not likely to seek out an alternative, even if it 
crashes a few times. It also has the largest library of software, and tons 
of experts can be found on the web to help them with any technical problem 
they have, free of charge. Those are real benefits, no matter how much one 
hates Windows. 

Linux has much of the above too, but its library of software isn't as 
impressive and the software's general quality isn't there either. It works 
on anything, that's true, but not anyone is comfortable with the process 
of installing it, no matter how easy it is.