> I don't know about the first two examples but isn't Linux actually better than Minix and Apache certainly better than Microsoft? When they first started out,

> I don't know about the first two examples but isn't Linux actually better than Minix and Apache certainly better than Microsoft? When they first started out, both were lousier, scrappy, free products. > In any case, this is a bit of an unfair comparison because these are examples of open source vs proprietary, not product quality primarily. There is nothing unfair about this comparison. Releasing free products and making money on other things has always been a viable way to compete against bigger, more established players. See: http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000056.html http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000056.html