[ Thanks to Norman
Gaywood for this link. ]
“It is becoming increasingly clear that we are heading
for a world in which there are only two operating systems Windows
and Linux. Within 10 years virtually all computers, from the
smallest wristwatch (don’t laugh) to the largest mainframe (they
will never die), will run one of these two operating systems. All
others are headed for extinction.Windows, in its various incarnations, will succeed simply
because Microsoft is Microsoft, with enormous marketing clout. The
fact that Microsoft’s tactics often stretch the limits of
acceptable behaviour is irrelevant to the debate. It has
unstoppable momentum and its market share continues to grow apace
at every level of computing.Windows has pretty well grown up now and is a solid, stable and
scalable operating system that can perform most jobs. Its greatest
limitations have been at the high-end, so-called “enterprise
computing”, but it is now capable of running just about any
application. All the major applications software providers (“ISVs”
is the industry jargon “independent software vendors”) have
developed for Windows, and its future is assured.”