Dude's measured response (continued...)

I think I get your point of view and I believe things can be interpreted in a different way all the time. For instance, about the hardware; is it just that Apple offers a limited range of cards based on profitability or because redesigning the hardware would cost money?

Also contrary to your view, I see more Linux users using Mac as more Mac users converting to Linux/ exploring new platforms instead of the de-facto Mac OS. When you buy a PC/Mac you are either going for Windows or OSX. Installing Linux is usually secondary in deciding this. Some uber-geek with a passion for a Mac might disagree with me and say he bought a Mac just for running *nix but us mere mortals do weigh these issues of Windows vs OSX.

Yup we can only speculate about why boot camp came around and I gave my reason which I believed to be correct. But everyone has his opinions regarding this.

Drivers/Standardization is dependent both on the platform and the developer. If CISCO doesn't have a 64 bit version, it is not necessarily MSFT's fault. They have a version of VPN for 64 bit Vista which is standards compatible but of course to get something extra you have to program it. Availability of drivers is better with the 32 bit Windows at least, but drivers are not as easy to cross-compile as general purpose software. Of course if you had started writing a new driver it is not difficult (look up WDDM etc) but Windows has a baggage of drivers written 5 or more years ago which need to be supported since some corporates have 1000 printers which use that driver. Going for an absolute new kernel like Apple did is a gamble and it works with a smaller user base. But larger user base coupled with enterprise customers is a difficult thing to handle.

I am not too sure of the language mixing thing as I have not done it myself but that is a feature which is an extra and is not expected out of each and every compiler. If your compiler generates incorrect or sub-optimal code I would consider that compiler to be a failure and not because it missed out on a particular developer's pet feature.

Regarding the superuser thing, if you don't do anything stupid (read surf websites and download a free viewer) while logged in as admin in Windows, you will be safe without any protection. However many people don't consider that simple things like autoplay can cause their system to be infected. Hence MSFT has advocated (IMHO) an approach of install an antivirus or you will suffer. If you did the same in Linux or OSX while logged in as root, I believe the OS would happily get infected.

I don't understand your argument about less RoI for virus creators.

Regarding the antitrust case I was referring to MSFT vs Netscape and Real not the MSFT tax.

The feature is easily implementable and works out of the box; I am not sure why developers don't use it, maybe it would look too odd for people used to no spell checking in text boxes, I dont know.

I never said that Windows was better, it has its share of flaws (blue screens anyone, Vista is slow). But my comment was simply that Windows allowed me to use my PC for all purposes that I wanted to instead of forcing me to run a virtual machine/dual boot for things like games.