Roy Schestowitz wrote:
> The Secret of Firefox's Success
> ,----[ Quote ]
> | "A lot of people don't even know what a browser is," said Firefox
> | co-creator Blake Ross. "They think that it's the first thing they use
> | on the Internet. They say, 'What do you mean browser, is that Google?
> | Is that Yahoo?' It's hard to get people to switch browsers if they
> | don't understand the concept."
This is a bit sad. People don't understand the intimate details of a
web browser, but they do understand what a browser does. They find a
link that's highlighted, or an image where the curser indicates that
there is a link (such as a hand), they click, and the information they
requested appears on the screen.
What gets most people started with Firefox is when they have been hit
by a virus or spyware that is slowing down their computer. Someone
says "Use Firefox and you won't get those", that's about all anyone has
to say to get them to download it. Once they do download it, they
start to discover about tabs, and soon they discover numerous other
features that they like. But they also like that Firefox deflects most
of the spyware, viruses, and malware that has trashed their computers
every few months.
They don't care HOW it works, only that it works.
The result:
> | [...]
> | 240 Million Downloads
Keep in mind that these are only downloads directly from official
public mirrors.
Many corporations have taken such a shine to firefox that they now make
it available for installation directly over the corporate network.
This lets them add bookmarks to corporate portals, key corporate sites,
even divisional or departmental sites. None of those get counted in
those 240 million downloads. IBM for example offers FireFox for
download (though they have currently opted to stick with version 1.5
for the moment.
The only times I use IE is when I need to book travel, or when I need
to access a client site that only supports Internet Explorer - usually
because it requires an ActiveX control. And as soon as I'm done, I
shut down IE.
Prior to using Firefox as my primary browser almost exclusively, I had
to have the drive re-imaged about 4 times per year. Since using
Firefox and Lotus notes almost exclusively, (no outlook ever), I've
been able to run over 9 months without needing to re-image due to
malware.
> | He added that, overall, there have been about 240 million downloads of
> | Firefox software since it launched, but the company estimates there are
> | actually about 7 million to 8 million people who use the browser regularly.
> | That's roughly 12 to 15 percent of Web users, Ross said, many of those
> | being computer savvy.
Keep in mind that there are about 1 billion web-capable computers in
use world-wide. 12 to 15 percent would be closer to 120 million users
actively browsing the web with firefox.
Over 100 million machines are sold every year, most spent 2-4 years in
the United States, then are returned or exchanged for newer machines.
The returns are then sent to other countries who consider these
machines to be fully functional. They use the machines for 2-4 years,
and eventually they are returned and passed on to the most economically
deprived (and politically risky) countries. Very often, the conversion
to Linux takes place after the first trade-in, especially since
Microsoft's support plan now nullifies the OEM license. When the
machine is returned it no longer has a valid Windows license, so the
drive is cleaned, usually using freedos. This means that the recipient
must either obtain a Windows license, or convert the machine to Linux.
> `----
>
> http://www.linuxinsider.com/rsstory/54199.html
>
> Windows labels Internet Exploder "Internet" (the 'remote installation'
> utility). Same thing that makes people unaware of alternatives to Windows
> while Microsoft forces shops never to show Linux to the public...
Actually, this is not quite correct, but it's very close. To become a
Microsoft authorized dealer, one has to sign an agreement which is very
similar to the OEM or EULA agreement. It's very complex legal language
which describes exactly what the retailer can and cannot do.
I haven't seen any of those agreements (perhaps some wintroll could
provide a link to the boilerplate agreement?), but there are some
strict rules about what the dealer can, and cannot do. If the
authorized dealer breaks any of these rules, he can forfeit his right
to sell ANY Microsoft products, including Microsoft licensed PCs. I
have been able to get some of these conditions out of various dealers.
Every year, usually in March, when these dealer agreements are renewed,
Microsoft goes after some small "mom and pop" shops, and does it in a
very public way. Often, the defendents don't even speak English as a
first language, and barely speak it as a second language. The point is
that it sends a message to other dealers "renew, comply, and submit
quietly, or we will shut you down", and to a small retailer who is
making razor thin margins anyway, the cost of a lawsuit, even with a
quick settlement, could mean the loss of the store and the loss of
their livelihood, along with their life savings.
This is why, in 1995, Sam Palmisano told the OS/2 division that the
retailers could only accept Windows. The dealers were warned that if
they accepted OS/2 machines and put them on sale, that they would have
to stop selling all Microsoft products. Microsoft backed it up with a
number of public raids and lawsuits against these small shops.
Even today, retailers like Staples and Walmart offer Linux PCs but
never put them on display because the display of Linux, especially
directly next to Windows PCs, would be a violation of their Authorized
Dealer agreement. Even Macs have to be kept in a separate part of the
store, usually they have to be kept far enough apart that they cannot
be viewed or operated by the same person at the same time. My guess is
that Microsoft was hoping that keeping Macs in the opposite corner of
the store would keep Windows users from even going back to the Mac
section to give a Mac a "test drive".
Of course, people can go test drive a Mac, but often you can't find
anyone who can really tell you what it can do. It looks like it
doesn't have as many applications, because so many of them are
"hidden". On the other hand, Mac is fast, clean, and very smooth.
Mac OS/9 made Mac like an artistic painting, Mac OS/X, especially
Tiger, makes it look more like a ballet with full orchestra.
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