Chrome OS

[bobleslie]

Here's another interesting link Does Chrome OS spell the End of Desktops?

The comments after the article are also well worth reading.

[Gary]

But no company can dominate a market without a product that their customers want 

A company can create a Market driven by telling the customer they need its services, and by basically shouting the loudest they achieve market dominance off the back of peoples ignorance, and they use unfair means to achieve it, see Intel for details.

[john]

But customers are free to use alternative services and whilst there will always be some that are ignorant I don't believe this is the case with Microsoft as the people who specify the majority of Windows based PC's are IT professionals working in industry who are well aware of the alternatives coupled with the fact that Microsoft were able to offer a viable system for commercial use. Home users may also choose Windows based systems not out of ignorance but because it is the same system as they use at work.

[Rik]

Anyone remember Visicalc? People didn't buy computers, they bought machines which would run Visicalc...

[Simon]

Nope. 

[Glenn]

Nope

Whispers to Simon, "He's older than us"

[Simon]

 

[Rik]

[wecpcs]

Anyone remember Visicalc? People didn't buy computers, they bought machines which would run Visicalc...

I remember that too as I have used it on an Atari ST (there was also an Amiga version), before moving on to Lotus 1-2-3(DOS) and I still use the version 9.7 for Windows to this day), as I do not like Excel at all. I suppose so many years using one program you get so used to it and I still use the original DOS keyboard shortcuts (which they threatened to remove but never did) which are ten times quicker than using the mouse. When I had my computer shop, all my system builds (five separate ranges with many upgrade options), used one huge very complex spreadsheet, which calculated all my selling prices, profit margins etc and printed out my retail spec sheets for customers. I used to spent many hours after closing time every other day, updating prices from new trade prices received during the day as you had to keep on top if it as profit margins were very slim. Some of the calculations were over 3 lines in length in length (with so many embedded IF/THEN and many other commands) and I think if I looked at them now it would put my head in a spin. So I must be showing my age as well.

Colin

[Rik]

I'm glad I'm not alone, Colin. I went from Visicalc to 1-2-3 to Quattro Pro. I still use that, unless forced to use Excel.

[somanyholes]

of interest

http://riosec.com/google-chromium-os-first-look