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Will we ever see a third major OS play a dominant role on computers?

episodic

episodic

Lifer
Windows
OSX
Linux (all flavors combined)

Generally, unless you run some exotic OS - this is it.


Putting Linux aside (due to it's unique nature) - do you think that it would be possible to develop a new OS that would rise to prominence - or will we be forever locked to what is out there now?
 
If your OS is cheap, stable, easy to use, and works with as much hardware/software as Windows... sure, why not?
 
It's too late now. Any new operating system would have to be somewhat UNIX based in order to provide a certain functionality. In addition to that, .exe's are native to Windows, with the exception of using an emulator, so they'd have to come up with their own executable format, and it's quite difficult to pull users away from the current standards. Also, Linux, Window and OSX each appeal to a different type of user, and they're all developing quite well to be able to suite just about anyone.

I don't see a new operating system coming.
 
BeOS FTW



No seriously I don't see so in the near future. Linux has been around for quite a while now and has made amazing progress. Back when there was so few distros, I remember trying to get Mandrake (6 or 7) and some old version of Red Hat to work. Basically the hardware support was bad. I couldn't ever get my ethernet or sound to work back then. Then years later I try FC2 and later Ubuntu... man they are nice! And they are better now. Yet linux is still an extremely small part of the mainstream OS.

Even then, unless it was just absolutely mind-blowing, groundbreaking, and superior to current ones (some could say linux is for quite a bit of computer use), its almost impossible to break the hold that Windows has on the market. So I guess we better hope that Windows continues to improve and Linux keeps on its path of improvement.
 
Originally posted by: duragezic
BeOS FTW



No seriously I don't see so in the near future. Linux has been around for quite a while now and has made amazing progress. Back when there was so few distros, I remember trying to get Mandrake (6 or 7) and some old version of Red Hat to work. Basically the hardware support was bad. I couldn't ever get my ethernet or sound to work back then. Then years later I try FC2 and later Ubuntu... man they are nice! And they are better now. Yet linux is still an extremely small part of the mainstream OS.

Even then, unless it was just absolutely mind-blowing, groundbreaking, and superior to current ones (some could say linux is for quite a bit of computer use), its almost impossible to break the hold that Windows has on the market. So I guess we better hope that Windows continues to improve and Linux keeps on its path of improvement.
Click to expand...

You'll see a huge jump in Linux usage now. Lots of businesses, schools and other sorts of communities are switching to Linux. 😉
 
I say Yes.

It will be built with a very specific purpose in mind, will be mostly open (or fully), and will expand from there.

Just like Linux.

 
Originally posted by: tfinch2
GoogleOS
Click to expand...

'nuff said. Google will inevitably rule the world.

on a more serious note, it doesn't seem likely. ppl don't like change. Apple keeps on making new versions of their OS but MS hasn't changed it's main os in like 5 years. Heck, even today there are ppl running windows 3.2, NT, 95 and 98. ppl don't like change.

in order for a new OS to succeed, it would have to be bundled with computers much as XP was. this means that it needs to be cheap, stable, and similar to windows.
 
Originally posted by: ForumMaster
Heck, even today there are ppl running windows 3.2, NT, 95 and 98. ppl don't like change.
Click to expand...
Some law firms still use Word Perfect 5.1 running on DOS because it meets all their needs, and change is disruptive.

 
Originally posted by: episodic
Windows
OSX
Linux (all flavors combined)

Generally, unless you run some exotic OS - this is it.


Putting Linux aside (due to it's unique nature) - do you think that it would be possible to develop a new OS that would rise to prominence - or will we be forever locked to what is out there now?
Click to expand...


I predict a massive resurgence of MS-DOS. By 2014, GUI-based operating systems will be extinct and the black screen with blinking white cursor will reign again.
 
Third major OS????

You mean second major OS??

OSX is actually loosing market share to Windows.
I believe only if you throw all linux/unix distros together they are slowly gaining.
 
The whole point of an os is to standardize the platform for which developers have to work on. 3 or more major oses with signifigant marketshare could actually backfire and lengthen development time and cost.
That is unless the 3 oses use interchangeable standards and run all programs or that every os only gets a few programs.

I believe 2 major ones are fine for competition and all that but 3 is overkill.

edit, I jsut did some research, there is 1 major os now. Windows XP/2000 take up ~91% of the market. Win 98/me has 3.5% and Mac OS(all versions) have 3.71.

As of August 2006
Win XP has
84.18%
Win 2000
6.54%
Mac
3.71%
Win 98
2.40%
Win ME
1.10%
Other(linux, openbsd, winnt 4.0, win95, dos, etc)
2.07%
 
Any major threat will just cause Microsoft to get its act together and pump out something decent. They won't allow themselves to lose the dominant desktop OS position, nor a big chunk of their server market share.
 
Originally posted by: Perknose
Originally posted by: ForumMaster
Heck, even today there are ppl running windows 3.2, NT, 95 and 98. ppl don't like change.
Click to expand...
Some law firms still use Word Perfect 5.1 running on DOS because it meets all their needs, and change is disruptive.
Click to expand...

that exactly what i meant. ppl don't like change and don't change unless they have no option or they need a new feature.
 
Originally posted by: episodic
Will we ever see a third major OS play a dominant role on computers?

Windows
OSX
Linux (all flavors combined)
Click to expand...

Shouldn't your title read "fourth major OS"?

I know that OSX is now unix based, but only at the lower level, the user doesn't have to deal with it. Its very close to the old mac os as far as the GUI / functionality is concerned.
 
Originally posted by: Sqube
If your OS is cheap, stable, easy to use, and works with as much hardware/software as Windows... sure, why not?
Click to expand...

And therein lies the problem. It's going to be extremely difficult for someone/some company to do just that. Windows has many many years of experience & driver compatibility built into it, so whoever tries to compete is going to have a genuinly hard time.
 
IMO its about as likely as a third political party starting up and successfully obtains a large number of congressional seats (say ~50+).
 
Umm, there are already millions of *nix boxes out there. I think you'd see that a vast majority of servers are running some version of Unix or Linux.

If you just mean "desktop home PC" when you say "computer" then no, I don't think BSD or Linux is dumbed down enough for the average person.
 
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