Free is too expensive (Economist)

Posted Mar 31, 2012 13:00 UTC (Sat) by khim (subscriber, #9252) [Link]

When you say it like that, it sounds like you just want to be like everyone else, its worth examining why you want that.

Because ubiquitous internet changed things? Because it's now feasible to download monsters like Photoshop? Because today users expect the ability to play with something after they've read the press-release or talked with a friend?

Im sure its deeper than just what buttons/commands you use to get a new app.

Well, yes. The times, they are changing. 10 years ago it was Ok to be ignorant about some new piece of software or some new game: it was hard to get it, sometimes you needed to hunt for it, some stores were out of stock. Today if you don't react instantly you are perceived as retarded. It's quite Ok to say "well, I don't like violence so I've skipped Left 4 Dead". But when you talk about virtues of GIMP or OpenOffice.org and someone says "well, cool, can you help me with understanding the features of a new release" and you answer "no, it's not yet in my distro, come back year from now" then it goes beyond embarrassment. You are falling out of your social group. And this is important - especially for younger people.

You get want what others are getting, not a variation.

Yup. That's the thing. Desktop have reached regular people and now fashion is the king. People don't want to be perceived as old-fashioned. They want to play Angry Birds Seasons when it's hot, not when it's few years old! And, as quite an opposite trend, some want to keep older “comfortable and weared in” versions around. Distributions basically impose “it's my way or the highway”: you can pick from the given selection of goods but the assortment is centrally planned and provided.