A former Microsoft insider on why Windows is failing:
“Andrews was surprised to learn recently that Jim Allchin, Microsoft group vice president of platforms, didn’t realize that many users don’t buy new computers because of how hard it is to move all their data and applications. “He was totally oblivious to this,” Andrews says. “It’s a couple-day process. His head was in the clouds.”
Apple, on the other hand, has built a friendly and reliable operating system, OS X (as in the Roman numeral), in part by building on free components from the open-source software community. With open-source software, individuals and companies can build on each other’s work and redistribute enhanced products for profit as long as they make their new source code available to the developer community. There is a special energy associated with products that are built by communities of people and companies working together. It’s optimization of global resources. Open source is where the software industry’s momentum is right now.
I just rid myself of my Windows computer, switching my work to the Mac and OS X because of the reliability it has shown as I’ve added peripherals and other software. I know I won’t waste as much time making the technology simply work. In most ways, OS X is superior to Windows XP.”