Many Foss evangelists could not understand how the ReactOS project is so important. So, despite my poor English knowledge, I will try to summarize some important questions here.
First, Open Source is about choice, freedom, words that do not go with with monopoly even when the monopolist is an open software foundation or project. The bigger the community, the more human resources it will have. However, lesser will be the voice of each member. So, conflicting ideas may lie in different communities of different sizes, proportional to its acceptance. Once implemented, that idea could seem more interesting than another and change the equilibrium of these communities to its side. So, in the long term, the fragmentation of a community could be better than a mere monopoly. And Reactos is an amazing ideia, for example, to fully use all drivers, softwares, architecture from the dominant operation system.So, many things already exist, it will be a waste to rewrite everything because of pure arrogance.
Second, Windows compatibility is a very very important thing, nowadays. Focusing only on Foss community, more than 30% of all projects in Sourceforge are only targeted Windows Plataform. Outside Foss world, how may programs in use were developed only for Windows? There is a real problem of installed base of applications not to be ignored. Windows compatibility will benefit the market by weakening monopolist forces such as Metcalf Law, Cost of Transition, etc... In the end, with Windows compatibility, your investment in software will not be a hostage to a company.
Shall we (re)summarize it?
_ ReactOS is a very healthy manifestation of freedom.
_ How good is software reuse? How good is it to be able use all drivers, softwares, architecture already made for Windows?
_ Windows compatibiltiy is not a "would be" but a "must be" in IT manangemant nowadays.
_ And last but not least, ReactOS strengthens Windows user's position against Redmont's giant, at the same time it weakens the inherently monopolist forces of software market (Metcalf Law, Cost of Transition, etc).
First, Open Source is about choice, freedom, words that do not go with with monopoly even when the monopolist is an open software foundation or project. The bigger the community, the more human resources it will have. However, lesser will be the voice of each member. So, conflicting ideas may lie in different communities of different sizes, proportional to its acceptance. Once implemented, that idea could seem more interesting than another and change the equilibrium of these communities to its side. So, in the long term, the fragmentation of a community could be better than a mere monopoly. And Reactos is an amazing ideia, for example, to fully use all drivers, softwares, architecture from the dominant operation system.So, many things already exist, it will be a waste to rewrite everything because of pure arrogance.
Second, Windows compatibility is a very very important thing, nowadays. Focusing only on Foss community, more than 30% of all projects in Sourceforge are only targeted Windows Plataform. Outside Foss world, how may programs in use were developed only for Windows? There is a real problem of installed base of applications not to be ignored. Windows compatibility will benefit the market by weakening monopolist forces such as Metcalf Law, Cost of Transition, etc... In the end, with Windows compatibility, your investment in software will not be a hostage to a company.
Shall we (re)summarize it?
_ ReactOS is a very healthy manifestation of freedom.
_ How good is software reuse? How good is it to be able use all drivers, softwares, architecture already made for Windows?
_ Windows compatibiltiy is not a "would be" but a "must be" in IT manangemant nowadays.
_ And last but not least, ReactOS strengthens Windows user's position against Redmont's giant, at the same time it weakens the inherently monopolist forces of software market (Metcalf Law, Cost of Transition, etc).
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