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Comment by DanielStraight | Hacker News Reader

Agreed.

The free software approach seems to assume that what a computer should be and do has already been decided and they just need to make free versions of everything. Like there's a certain set of programs that defines a complete system and their goal is just to get from 60% or wherever they are now to 100%.

Apple, on the other hand, reinvents computing every 5 years or so (yes, that's hyperbolic). If a FOSS advocate had created the iPad, the most popular device in computing today would be FOSS. The most popular computers and electronics in the world aren't Apple products because Apple made an Apple version of everything. The most popular computers and electronics in the world are Apple products because Apple innovated.

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The free software approach seems to assume that what a computer should be and do has already been decided and they just need to make free versions of everything.

When you you look at their goals, they are by definition playing catch-up. You're also glossing over every single innovation that has come out of the open-source space.

The most popular computers and electronics in the world aren't Apple products because Apple made an Apple version of everything.

Actually, the fact their operating system is just an Apple version of unix is the primary reason I even considered purchasing my mac. The same rings true for most of the technical people I know who have macs.

> The free software approach seems to assume that what a computer should be and do has already been decided and they just need to make free versions of everything.

That's really not the case.

> The most popular computers and electronics in the world are Apple products because Apple innovated.

That's part of it, but there were also huge quantities of marketing and money involved.

No technology wins on its own merits.

The most popular computers and electronics in the world are Apple products because Apple polished everything to a sheen.

Sure apple created some cool stuff, but the open source world created some pretty darn cool stuff too. Remember, the first web browser was open source.

Great example, but that was a long time ago. The argument being made here is that there isn't enough innovation in the free software space in recent years.

What about the massive strides that Chrome/Mozilla/WebKit are making? What about the innovations in programming languages such as Clojure and Arc and Erlang? What about the innovations in frameworks such as node.js and sproutcore?

I could go on all day. IMO, it's a lot easier to find innovation in the open source world than it is in the commercial world which seems to be more about copy & polish than it does about innovation.

If you were arguing that open source lacked polish, I would agree with you. But innovation? Hardly.

> The most popular computers and electronics in the world are Apple products because Apple innovated.

I wonder on what basis you're saying this. When I look around me, I see very few Apple products. Maybe that depends on what part of the world you live in.

If a FOSS advocate had created the iPad...

Well, there was the Linux-based CrunchPad before the iPad was even announced. Who knows what the world may be like if Fusion Garage hadn't severed ties with Arrington and released the overpriced Joojoo.

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