4 ms·
Windows was a de facto standard on the desktop because it was the de facto developer platform and so it was the only choice for a reasonable consumer experience
by capo 14y ago
Windows was a de facto standard on the desktop because it was the de facto developer platform and so it was the only choice for a reasonable consumer experience. Search on the other hand is user facing, and as Microsoft keeps telling us search engines are basically the same. Oh, and they're all free.
- redm 14y agoThe point is they are both de facto platforms. The fact that its free is irrelevant, its not like its a non-profit, they are just making money via advertising instead of directly from a consumer.
- capo 14y agoOf course the fact that it's free is relevant, your argument is about switching costs and in this case the costs are literally nil. Also their search is not a platform it's a service (no API).
- chrischen 14y agoSwitching costs for consumers are nil, but what about for advertisers and publishers?