This is way off. Free always beats paid. Your example of champagne is somewhat accurate (i.e. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/art

This is way off. Free always beats paid. Your example of champagne is somewhat accurate (i.e. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/article3177658.ece http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_dri...), but I don't think the same concept applies to software. When some alternatives cost money, consumers will almost always choose free. Why do people use Windows? (1) It is pre-installed on machines - note: Linux is no longer "free" when you need to install it yourself (2) It is included in the PCs price or consumers aren't aware of or given "free" alternatives (3) Historically, *nix has been too difficult to install/use, lack of software, etc Think about this: how much did MySQL just sell for? How much does MySQL cost?