Monopolist

[Bodo]

Reading the threads about the recent attacks on Windows PCs by the W32.Blaster virus got me thinking.

Microsoft seems to have a nearly monopol in desktop computers; everybody is using MS for several reasons:

It's the user interface most people know how to use; and only few are willing to learn to use another one.

It's what most IT people know how to support.

Windows is not bundled with a certain hardware; buyers buy their hardware on a very competitive market and hence get good value for money.

This morning I have read that the new Apple Macintosh with G5 CPU is to be introduced; which will put Macintoshs ahead of PCs again after a longer break. And it will be more UNIX than ever HW and OS wise.
A pity only, that they're so expensive, and one has to buy the complete bundle.

I witness more and more people in my surroundings switching completely to Linux; but they all have been experienced Windows-users who installed their applications themselves, and most people don't know whom to ask when they get stuck somwhere.

So where is this going now with Microsoft controlling the end-user market? A lot of economical power (many employees using Windows-PCs in order to be productive) depends on just one company and one product-family.

What does the PistonHeads-Oracle think/predict?