[familyop]

"The free-market system for everyday products and services, is not the same kind of market that needs to exist for operating systems."

But that's the way it is. Open source systems are here to stay. The case was won, and there's much more ahead.

"Sure, we can probably support hundreds or thousands of OSes, but then, who’s going to support them on the consumer side, where most people would be seeking help on a daily basis because of the myriad of problems and utter confusion."

Linux systems are now very easy to install and use for many millions perceived by some as the unwashed. This isn't only about software, though. It's about all productive activities for the civilization to come, regulations against such activities notwithstanding.

"...necessity, which is the mother of our invention" (Plato, _The Republic_).

[adorno]

I can imagine what kind of world would result from your beliefs and expectations.

No standards at all, and chaos.

However, people are still resisting the Linux way, and the geeks and more technically inclined, can continue using it and perhaps doing some great things with it, but, in the regular consumer marketplace, it’s failed for decades, and will continue to fail.

Save this discussion, and in twenty years time, come back and tell me I was wrong. (And no, we’re not talking about Android, because, it’s not a desktop or laptop OS).