Yahoo! News - Eric Raymond: Linux will rule the desktop

[Gregory J. Neumann]

Mac never made it because they never opened up the Mac hardware architecture the 
way IBM did w/ the ISA stantard.  That's the only reason they lost.  It's a 
Microsoft world simply because it's what IBM shipped on the original PC's and Bill 
was savvy enough to get licensing agreements w/ all the other major OEM's.  Mac's 
were several times as expensive and you had a tiny B&W screen compared to the 
"wonderful" 16 color 12" EGA IBM introduced that same year!  You could buy several 
complete IBM clones, EGA monitors and all, for what it would cost you for one Mac 
and the "add on" color monitor.  Apple aimed at the CEO's for ease of use, etc., 
but missed the boat because CEO's weren't going to be the primary users.  All the 
hype about Microsoft starting the PC revolution sometimes infuriates me!  If IBM 
has charged for the licensing of the ISA, we'd be using something else ... whatever 
came up w/ a free/very low cost license for it's computer architecture!  Good thing 
Big Blue was so clueless about the possibilites when they first started all this 
and regarded the personal PC market as going nowhere, but something where IBM 
needed to have a presence to facilitat 'big iron" sales!  

Just my $.02.  Microsoft was never inovative, just clever w/ licensing schemes!
-Greg