And cause a whole lot more problems for the majority of computer users. Which distro? How do I get a driver for my sound, network, etc. As much as I love and use Linux there is no way the majority of people can't use it without a major learning curve. It simply does not work across the board on every system. As far as it has come it still is not easy for a non-techie to get setup and going.

Many of the things that made Linux unique, especially on the desktop, are also what kept it from being something that everyone would want to use. It was not interesting to the masses and never would be. Having a mix of closed source software that fulfills certain needs in a way that no F/OSS has not been able to, does not take away from Linux. It only adds to it.

Choice is the key.

If you have the choice of being able to use closed source or F/OSS for a certain need, there is absolutely NO downside.

Many think that Linux has to be F/OSS only and that is just plain wrong. There is a middle ground where a proper mix of closed and open source work together to create a powerful desktop for all people, not just the F/OSS or die people, which are definitely a very closed minded group.

Spoken like a true Anonymous Coward.

That is actually incorrect. Firefox uses less memory than Chrome and actually has a faster start up time. Chrome treats each tab as a separate resource, which has benefits, but also causes it to be more of a resource hog. The interface on Firefox and Chrome are very similar, so that is an interesting take that you have an issue with that and like Chrome. Chrome most certainly has a lot of benefits as well and I like several of them. However certain addons I like Firebug, do not work the same in Chrome and are more of a headache for me personally. I have tried to switch to Chrome several times over changes I dislike on Firefox, but I have never stayed with it as Chrome still has too many things I don't like. I do still however use it for cloud based apps and a few other things. I also use it to test web apps that I develop, so I am very used to how it works in comparison to other browsers.

Maybe we have ECC memory ;)

I am definitely pretty happy with Torchlight 2 and definitely like it better than D3. Still prefer Path of Exile, despite it still being in closed beta. It is some much more like Diablo 2 than Diablo 3 in the dark style ARPG. I find TL2 still a bit watered down in what you can do. However it is a blast and the fact that it is easy to play via LAN with friends makes it a great addition. Choice is a good thing!

So we still have a ton or organizations and users tied to IE 6 because Microsoft somehow got developers to build apps that would only work properly on IE. Now Google wants to do the same with Chrome? Have apps that only work properly on it? No thanks, one IE in my lifetime is enough.

Gawd no, something better NOT WORSE! I have programmed many things in Java, because I was forced to. I would not wish that one anyone!!

Opera people always crack me up. Don't get me wrong Opera is a fine browser and may be better in this an that. However it it was really all that, it would have a much larger fan base. I just do not like it and judging by all the political moves they have to keep making just to survive it seems most others do not as well.

Just because they have had something for a while now, does not mean that Firefox, which is a far more popular browser, getting it is not a big deal. Opera has good plugins, but they have never been as good or easy to use. I think Chrome has already passed them up on quality plugins.

I do empathize though. If Opera would have made better decisions on distribution of the browser freely early on who knows where they could be?

Actually despite the "love" for Microsoft here, their biggest problem is marketing more than anything. I personally have seen far fewer technology issues or gui issues over the last year or two than ever before. A lot of that has to do with the threat of Apple on the desktop and Linux on the server. However for what ever reason they have not fixed their other achilles heel, marketing.

It is one are they have never been good at and they have not realized that it, more than anything has hurt them.

Apple on the other hand is great at marketing and even better at targeting the MS customers base. Google has their own unique way of marketing, because they own the online search and understand how to get the word out with out commercials. Microsoft? they get more mention on the Apple vs Microsoft commercials than their own.

Egenera has been doing the same thing for almost 8 years. They did it first on their hardware and now on Dell Blades. Ironically several people from the Cisco side working on this came from Egenera and the messaging is almost identical.

Egenera Website

Not even close to being true!! I get several days standby with mine.

Plus I had an iPhone and the interface is no worse or better.

The Android does NOT have flash yet. Adobe is working on it just like iPhone.

I think it is the start of how it should be. I think a world where you did not have one dominant platform would be for the best.

I could see it getting to where MS has around 60% market share, Apple 25%, and Linux the rest. The only reason I do not see Linux with a larger percentage is because of everything from marketing and bullying by the other two and resistance.

Once you start seeing these levels you start seeing more innovation from all of them.