by redmail.netbsd.org with SMTP; 6 Apr 1999 06:39:36 -0000
	by joel.home.aaii.oz.au (8.8.8/8.8.8) with ESMTP id QAA02118;
	Tue, 6 Apr 1999 16:38:47 +1000 (EST)
	by panacea.null.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) with ESMTP id QAA02143;
	Tue, 6 Apr 1999 16:38:35 +1000 (EST)
Message-Id: <199904060638.QAA02143@panacea.null.org>
To: bmike@bigfoot.com
cc: netbsd-advocacy@NetBSD.ORG
Subject: Re: Please give me some reasons. 
In-Reply-To: Message from bmike@bigfoot.com 
   of "Mon, 05 Apr 1999 03:45:09 +0800." <3707C145.36674B04@bigfoot.com> 
Date: Tue, 06 Apr 1999 16:38:34 +1000
From: Joel Reicher <joel@panacea.null.org>

> Sorry, I posted it on the wrong place. But I still have a question.
> The PCs are not good enough but they are cheap. Price decides market
> share. I only hear 'FREE' software but never hear 'FREE' hardware.
> So, how many platforms will survive in the future?

That is too simplistic. Price is certainly a factor, but it is not the
only one.

The question is also very general. I suspect that even if it were possible
to accurately know the answer, it wouldn't help you. What do you really
want to know? Which platform will have backwards-compatibility support in
the platforms of the future? That would be more a question of software and
data formats.

	- Joel