[CLUE-Talk] Legal breaking of the MS monopoly WAS: Re: [CLUE-Tech] HP laptop

[Kevin Cullis]

Zonker,

Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier wrote:

> 
> DO NOT give Microsoft any ideas. We already pay a tax for every blank
> CD-R, CD-RW, DAT and so on -- regardless of whether we will use them
> to copy copyrighted music or data or whatever. Using the same logic
> I wouldn't be shocked if Microsoft, Adobe and every other money-grubbing
> proprietary software company could find a legislator willing to pass
> a similar bill for CPUs.

As if Linux users couldn't come up with something better?  I'm only
trying to point out what possibly could be coming out of their heads. 
As a former military person: you have to know your enemy before you can
take them down. Once an option is identified, we can counter it BEFORE
it gets out and make sure WE have the better arguments!!

Regarding a "new" car, you can buy all of the "new" parts separately and
build your "new" car WITHOUT an engine and put your own in if you'd
like, but it'll cost more AND you can have any engine you want (or buy a
"used" one and put your own engine in).  From a business/manufacturing
perspective, it is cheaper to build it at the plant than putting it
together by hand (efficiency is the name of the game here). 
Same with computers, I've put together my last two computers myself
(Jeff, where was that picture of me at an installfest ;-)) because I
WANTED what I WANTED.

Ed,

> Your "engine" analogy is a very poor fit in this situation.  Software is
> much more like tires or gasoline or some other easily-replaced 
> consumable than the engine.  And, more importantly, software should
> *remain* an option that is easy to replace.

I think my engine analogy is quite appropriate: you can't ran a car
WITHOUT an engine, must less run a computer without an OS. It still goes
back to the logic: What is REQUIRED to make a car run: engine,
transmission, consumables, frame, wheels/tires.  What is NOT required
is: body, radio, seats (although this would make it hard to drive ;-) ),
windshield, etc. What is REQUIRED to run a computer: an OS, motherboard
(plus CPU), RAM, I/O such as PCI/parallel, keyboard, video, and storage
(CD, HD) and tools/applications (you have to do something with it). What
is NOT required is: modem, network card, sound, printer and probably a
host of other things.  And I'm speaking generically, not specifically,
because I know someone with more knowledge about hardware could come up
with other ideas regarding a computer.  If you take away an engine in a
car, how else are you to get it to go?  Horse?  That's an "engine."
Gravity? It won't go for long. How do you run a computer?  Embedded? 
That's an "engine." I can't think of what would make a computer run
EXCEPT that it has an OS somewhere.

So, Ed, you've made your comment and I've defended myself, please don't
take this as a flame or a rant, just a clarification of ideas.

Kevin