Subj : distro
To   : KK4QBN
From : Nightfox
Date : Wed Dec 20 2017 15:12:41

  Re: distro
  By: KK4QBN to Jagossel on Wed Dec 20 2017 04:36 pm

 KK> and thruthfuly.. the OS *should* be free.. the OS is the core of the
 KK> machine.. it's what make it work...

I'm not sure the OS should always be free..  An OS is a piece of software, a
product that someone (or a team of people) has put time and effort into
developing, like any other product.  Microsoft historically has been a software
company, and if they choose to sell their software for a profit (including
their OS), I don't see a problem with that.  You don't have to pay an
outrageous price for Windows either - You can find OEM copies to buy online for
around $70 to $120 or so.  Only in the past few years has Microsoft started to
make their own computers.

Apple no longer charges for OS X, but Apple's main source of revenue is their
hardware (computers, iPhone, and iPod).  I remember even reading a quote where
someone at Apple said they want to be mainly a hardware company.  They restrict
OS X to install on Macs, so they sell their Macs and include the OS for free. 
I remember when they used to sell their OS though..  Back in the day, a new
major version of OS X would cost around $150 (I think), which was about on par
with an OEM copy of Windows.

Nightfox

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