[Info-vax] New CEO of VMS Software

[bill]

On 1/5/2024 2:05 PM, Arne Vajhøj wrote:
> On 1/5/2024 1:43 PM, bill wrote:
>> On 1/5/2024 1:27 PM, Arne Vajhøj wrote:
>>> On the consumer side I expect drivers like:
>>> - they know Windows
>>
>> At the user level very low learning curve to change.
> 
> It may still be more effort than average Joe want to put in.

They all accepted it (like I had to) when MS killed XP and Vista.
The replacement was very different.  There are still things I used
to do that I can not figure out on Windows 10.

> 
>>> - they use Windows at work
>>
>> I would expect that most of the people who develop Linux OS and
>> apps in their spare time use Windows at work.  One does not preclude
>> the other.
> 
> "people who develop Linux OS and apps" are very different from
> average Joe.

Of course, but the way you said it one might imply that use of
Windows "at work" made use of Linux unlikely or impossible.  I
used Windows at work for decades.  Even admined a lot of Windows
systems.  And yet, I also use VMS, Unix, Linux, Os-9, Plan9, etc.
And do development work on all of them.

> 
>>> - they have some old Windows programs that they like
>>
>> Unless they are running an old version of Windows their
>> programs probably don't work.  I have had to replace external
>> hardware devices I use not because the device stopped working
>> but because the software did.
> 
> Any ordinary application build for NT or 2000 should still work.

Not hardly.  I have boxes of programs from versions of Windows much
newer than NT and 2000 that will not run on mt Windows 10 system.
And many more that required that I get a newer version (sometimes
not a free upgrade).

> 
>>> - their PC came with Windows
>>
>> And, if the (Illegal?) pressure from MS was removed they could
>> just as easily come with Linux.  And it could make them cheaper.
> 
> It has been tried. Not much sale.

Because the seller was still required to pay the (illegal?) MS tax.

> 
>>> The hassle of changing to Linux is not worth it given
>>> how cheap Windows is for consumers.
>>
>> Something not guaranteed to continue.
> 
> No guarantees for anything.
> 
> Well the old joke say that it is guaranteed that we will all
> die and taxes will go up.
> 
> :-)
> 
>>                                     Not how Office is no longer
>> sold but uses a subscription service so they can continue to collect
>> revenue while forcing users to constantly change to newer versions
>> even if the newer version offers the user nothing.
> 
> Some are comfortable with the subscription model. A lot use
> it for various services used by their smartphone.
> 
> But there is also a large number of home PC's with Windows but
> without MS Office.

That's true.  I have a laptop running Windows 10 that only performs the
task people have accused the PC of all along.  It launches Minecraft and
then runs as a game console.  :-)

bill