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Today, though, Microsoft is increasingly left only with customers whose priority is price. Yeah, but that's probably like 95% of people and companies. Compute
by ryanwaggoner 17y ago
Today, though, Microsoft is increasingly left only with customers whose priority is price.
Yeah, but that's probably like 95% of people and companies. Computers may not be commodities for the types of people who frequent HN, but they are for almost everyone else.
- thenduks 17y agoHe's saying that the kind of people who frequent HN are indicators of what the future might be like: Regular people don’t think about their choice of computer platform in detail and with passion like nerds do because, duh, they are not nerds. But nerds are leading indicators.
- ryanwaggoner 17y agoNerds are leading indicators for some things, but not everything. Once something has become commoditized, nerds may be leading indicators of what a small niche will prefer, but most people will compare that commodity primarily on price. Reversing commoditization is difficult and rare.
- simonw 17y agoIf nerds aren't going to be leading indicators for computers, what are they going to be indicators for?
- ryanwaggoner 17y agoAre nerds the leading indicators for handheld calculators?
- blasdel 17y agoNot at all: witness TI's total dominance of the graphing calculator market, selling millions a year with a fucking Z80 and dogshit software for $80 each. Their 'high-end' calculators have decent software with an easy-to-use CAS, but are crippled by their slow M68k processors, and cost $120.
- krakensden 17y agoThey have competitors?
- jwhitlark 17y agoWhat will never be commodities to people are their time and happiness. When my wife was looking for a new computer, she didn't even consider Windows; she looked at my Linux and her friend's Mac, eventually deciding on the latter for its physical looks and quality, as she didn't have any real experience with the software.