On Tue, 2006-03-07 at 15:39 -0500, Lars D. Noodén wrote: > On Tue, 7 Mar 2006, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > Lars, we're going to have to agree to disagree on this one. > > Ah, OK, spoken like a true apologist. ;) What's your proposed solution? > > > ... I've been hearing how a development over the horizon is finally > > going to break Microsoft's hold over the OS/Browser/Office Suite market. > > Re-read my post. I stated nothing about what it will or will not break > the hold of. I stated that the cost of moving to OOo is probably cheaper > than to MSO 2007 and I stated that most users would not notice they were > using OOo.
I find the biggest impediment at the level of the average user is brand loyalty, followed by 'safety in numbers'. IMO, OOo is successfully addressing the later by providing a familiar but not identical look-and- feel, without unduly restricting it's ability to innovate on it's own. As the article itself mentions, Microsoft is having to [artificially] differentiate itself from it's main competition because of that. When a product [OOo] forces it's market leading competition to do that, then I think it gains respect as a brand name. That sounds like a good strategy. Another factor at play here will be the increasing difficulty of getting those 'backup' ;) copies of MS Office to use at home, and any restrictions on transferring licenses between computers. But the statistics are starting to speak for themselves - large organisations are moving to StarOffice/OOo - that's a reality - most is the result of long term assessment and has long term transition planning (10 years in some cases). A large motivating factor is the non- proprietary standardised document format, but some of it is documented as being in part motivated by the costs of complying with Microsoft's licensing. Not the license costs themselves, which is a factor anyway, but the recurrent costs of keeping records up-to-date and regularly auditing desktop and portable machines, ensuring that employees abide by the companies licensing arrangement etc. and the possibility of being prosecuted if they don't get it right. --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
