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Wikipedia says that Windows accounts for well over 70% of all desktop use[0], I personally wouldn't call that a 3-way split. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

Wikipedia says that Windows accounts for well over 70% of all desktop use[0], I personally wouldn't call that a 3-way split. [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_operating_systems#Desktop_and_laptop_computers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_operating_syste...

heedlessly2 9y ago
but what profit % do they have? Android dominates mobile OS usage, but iOS has equal profits if not greater than Android
- roblabla 9y ago
  If you take only desktop (which is what I was thinking about), windows is waaaaaaaaaay dominating the game. Chromebook might as well not exist (I haven't seen one, ever. I'm in europe though), so the only contender is Mac. But with all the lock-in and momentum Windows has, sure it might not be a monopoly in the technical sense, but it sure as heck feels like one.
- 0x4a42 9y ago
  Microsoft is making billions dollars of profit from Android's devices just with their patents licensing: https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/microsoft_on_the_issues/2011/10/23/microsofts-new-patent-agreement-with-compal-a-new-milestone-for-our-android-licensing-program/ https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/microsoft_on_the_issues/...
- criddell 9y ago
  How is Android profit calculated? Does it include the value of the data collected with it? How do you calculate iOS profits? Can you separate the value of the hardware from the software?
mcv 9y ago
I only have a Windows PC for gaming. I'd gladly switch to Linux if all games were also available there. (I tried wine and stuff like that ages ago, but that was just a pain.) Windows has effectively a monopoly on gaming PCs.
- alyandon 9y ago
  One third of the games I've purchased on Steam are available on Linux. I guess the perception of whether or not Microsoft effectively has a monopoly in the gaming PC market segment really centers around the games you play.
  - komali2 9y ago
    1/3 is pretty poor coverage. State it this way: "In order to play 2/3 of available video games, you must have Windows."
    - alyandon 9y ago
      Poor coverage? For an operating system that has single digit desktop market share? I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree. :)
      - komali2 9y ago
        I understand where you're coming from, but the market share doesn't really figure into my argument of coverage. If the idea is "should I adopt or not," and I like gaming, then the % coverage is a highly important statistic. I can still step back and say "well isn't that nice, Linux has 1/3 of games ported and only 500 people use it! Good for them!" Won't change the fact that I need to use windows if I want to play all games.
      - mcv 9y ago
        Poor coverage exactly because it has single digit desktop market share. There's not enough market, therefore it doesn't get enough product. The end result is that if you want a broad choice in games, you need Windows. Fortunately there's been a lot of great games coming out for Linux too recently, mostly thanks to cross-system frameworks like Unity, I assume. And that's great, but not really enough to threaten Windows' position in the PC game market.
- vacri 9y ago
  Windows also has a monopoly on enterprise and government PCs. There aren't too many 100k-employee organisations out there whose desktop SOE is non-Windows.
thefreeman 9y ago
News flash, desktops aren't anywhere near the most dominant computing platform anymore.

heedlessly2 9y ago

but what profit % do they have? Android dominates mobile OS usage, but iOS has equal profits if not greater than Android

roblabla 9y ago
If you take only desktop (which is what I was thinking about), windows is waaaaaaaaaay dominating the game. Chromebook might as well not exist (I haven't seen one, ever. I'm in europe though), so the only contender is Mac. But with all the lock-in and momentum Windows has, sure it might not be a monopoly in the technical sense, but it sure as heck feels like one.
0x4a42 9y ago
Microsoft is making billions dollars of profit from Android's devices just with their patents licensing: https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/microsoft_on_the_issues/2011/10/23/microsofts-new-patent-agreement-with-compal-a-new-milestone-for-our-android-licensing-program/ https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/microsoft_on_the_issues/...
criddell 9y ago
How is Android profit calculated? Does it include the value of the data collected with it? How do you calculate iOS profits? Can you separate the value of the hardware from the software?

mcv 9y ago

I only have a Windows PC for gaming. I'd gladly switch to Linux if all games were also available there. (I tried wine and stuff like that ages ago, but that was just a pain.) Windows has effectively a monopoly on gaming PCs.

alyandon 9y ago
One third of the games I've purchased on Steam are available on Linux. I guess the perception of whether or not Microsoft effectively has a monopoly in the gaming PC market segment really centers around the games you play.
- komali2 9y ago
  1/3 is pretty poor coverage. State it this way: "In order to play 2/3 of available video games, you must have Windows."
  - alyandon 9y ago
    Poor coverage? For an operating system that has single digit desktop market share? I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree. :)
    - komali2 9y ago
      I understand where you're coming from, but the market share doesn't really figure into my argument of coverage. If the idea is "should I adopt or not," and I like gaming, then the % coverage is a highly important statistic. I can still step back and say "well isn't that nice, Linux has 1/3 of games ported and only 500 people use it! Good for them!" Won't change the fact that I need to use windows if I want to play all games.
    - mcv 9y ago
      Poor coverage exactly because it has single digit desktop market share. There's not enough market, therefore it doesn't get enough product. The end result is that if you want a broad choice in games, you need Windows. Fortunately there's been a lot of great games coming out for Linux too recently, mostly thanks to cross-system frameworks like Unity, I assume. And that's great, but not really enough to threaten Windows' position in the PC game market.
vacri 9y ago
Windows also has a monopoly on enterprise and government PCs. There aren't too many 100k-employee organisations out there whose desktop SOE is non-Windows.

thefreeman 9y ago

News flash, desktops aren't anywhere near the most dominant computing platform anymore.