[OT] Re: iPod support in Linux

[Bart Silverstrim]

Brian McKee wrote:
> OSX has a lot going for it, and there are benefits there for OSX
> users, but being closed source IS a disadvantage for the user.

This is like saying that an automatic IS a disadvantage for drivers 
compared to manual transmissions!

OS X being closed source is a HUGE benefit to Apple, AND the majority of 
their users, when you prioritize user friendliness into the mix.

Who works on open source?  Let's be honest...open source stuff, though 
functionally good, is JUST starting to really generally give a good 
desktop to home users who don't CARE about buying into a political 
cause.  The ones that barely understand, and don't WANT to understand, 
anything about their computer.

For geeks and power users, OS X being closed source is definitely a 
disadvantage.  It hinders their tinker powers.  It blocks them from 
seeing how their shiny toys work under the hood.  I get that and agree 
with you when that is kept in mind.

But the majority of Apple users don't CARE that Appleworks died.  They 
don't care about the terminal (whazzat?) or even how or when to run 
DiskUtil (Whazzat?).  They want to browse the web, they want to email, 
they want to type up memos and reports, and most of the time they can't 
distinguish among those tasks.  The best part is they spend $400 on a 
music player and plug the square thingy in there and the skinnier thingy 
on the player and...whoa...it's syncing!  I click and click and put in 
my credit card and YES! I have new pop tunes! La la la la la....

Which means that the closes source nature of OS X is a boon for home 
users because Apple dictates exactly what will run or won't run, they 
dictate what hardware works and what the interface should look like and 
all sorts of things that users don't care about but all comes together 
to make their hardware work most of the time without worrying about 
supporting a huge array of slightly different hardware and software 
setups from different people.  It works, that's what they want.

Apple has been very tolerant of most individuals playing with their 
stuff, and they have been relatively nice about DRM with the fun crap 
RIAA throws.  Apple is very protective of their brand, however, and 
while the philosophical diehards like to throw around how terrible Apple 
has been without regard to what the home user really cares about.

Sometimes people buy and use things because they want to buy and use 
them, not purchase a political or philosophical cause.