>C'mon, let's face it: one reason why ppl use Windows is >because it's familiar to ... others, which means if THEY get >stuck, someone can help them. That's not the case with Linux, >even less with BeOS (on which, I admit, one gets stuck a lot >less often than on Windows or Linux). Indeed. It seems most people don't even understand the concept of an operating system, let alone that there is something else besides Windows that can run on their computers. And your point about getting help is also a very good one. >This is why any new "BeOS" release needs a BeOS-specific >Instant Messaging system built-in, so that help for >developers and users is just a few mouse-clicks away. BeShare? >Anything you can't accomplish without oodles of $$ you have >to accomplish by working smarter. Indeed. Let's hope we have enough smarts to fight Microsoft's $40+ billion dollars. >One of the problems "BeOS" has is that its developers rather >fart around on their own basement projects (which never ever >go anywhere anyway) rather than teaming up and creating a >really useful, user-friendly, marketable and properly >supported application. I must say I totally agree with this and in fact have fallen under the spell of the "basement project" myself. It is just fun to play around on BeOS ;) But seriously we do need some decent apps. >If "BeOS" is lagging behind, then it's the app developers >that are to blame - no one else. Why? Because you can only >market what you have, and on "BeOS" you don't really have >anything commercially viable. And you all know that an OS >can't be marketed, but its applications can. > >Anyway... forget about names and OEMs, join together and get >some proper apps out, not the 23rd image viewer >without proper translators or the 15th text editor without >what one expects it to support. Yeah it seems like there are just a proliferation of little apps that all do the same thing. While diversification is good, there is a limit to it, especially with the limited resources we have in the number of BeOS developers. It's not like we have the thousands of people born and raised on Windows, or people who can slap out an app with Visual Basic in a few hours. Every little bit of a BeOS developer's time is precious... >P.S. Also don't forget that little companies/projects make >it big because the followers believe in the "leaders" and >"visionaries". There ain't no one like that on BeOS, and JLG >had more "board" than "user" or "developer" appeal. True, he was definitely more of a business man than anything else. But you don't think some of the "big names" in OpenBeOS don't inspire people? I mean who isn't impressed with what Axel and David have done? But maybe we just haven't had enough exposure to let the "average Joe" know what is going on... Ryan Leavengood OpenBeOS Build Team Lead