[ Thanks to Thomas for
this link. ]
“Technology, to some degree, is not driving the market anymore,”
said Linus Torvalds, the creator of the “open source” operating
system Linux. “It’s what people want. . . . Convenience and price
are the real driving factors.”
“Torvalds, the former Finnish student who rivals Microsoft
Chairman Bill Gates as a high-tech cult figure, is his own best
example. Linux, the first operating system to become a true
competitor to Microsoft’s Windows, barely existed at Comdex two
years ago. This year the Linux Business Expo received nearly
equal billing to the Comdex floor show itself….“
“During the Q&A period–something Gates didn’t permit during
his own session–Torvalds was asked the unthinkable. What if
Microsoft were to co-opt Linux by offering its own version of
it?”
“It’s not only possible, but it’s legal, and I encourage them to
do it,” said Torvalds.”