[Cialug] distro for ibook

[L. V. Lammert]

On Dec 8, 2009, at 10:32 AM, L. V. Lammert wrote:

> > You're not alone - that's a dichotomy that concerns me also! The fact
> > that Apple runs their propietary SW on a Free host (BSD) just muddies
> > the waters; I, for one, cannot understand why an advocate of Free
> > Software would ever touch 'that stuff'.
>
> Is that different from the 11.2 million products that slap a couple of
> proprietary userland apps onto a stock linux base and distribute the set
> as an appliance? Or do you feel that muddies the water as well?
>
> I don't mean to be inflammatory, I just really don't understand the
> difference, because the linux community seems to generally support
> things like embedded linux installs so long as the free software bits
> are properly attributed and distributed, and Apple's use of a BSD base
> seems largely similar.
>
>        Zach
>
Interesting question, .. but they are only alike in one sense - they use
an OS core. There are a myriad of differences, to start with:

1) Apple is a multi-dimensional vertical market where Apple gets a
commission at every level - appliances are purpose built for one
application (typically a firewall device) that do not affect any other
market.

2) The functioality of an appliance box can easily be replicated, and, in
most cases, superceded with an OS built environment.

3) Apple purposly 'links' to other dimensions (e.g. DRM) in order to
further it's profit picture and degrade options for consumers; there is no
appliance in the market of which I am aware that has the same sort of
control.

4) An appliance must, by the GPL, include attribution of the OS internals;
Apple does not, because it purposfully picked a BSD licensed environment.

.. but you get the idea. Comparing the Apple market with any other is
invalid, .. just like comparing MS with any market is mostly invalid.
Each has built a unique market that cannot be directly compared with any
other.

	Lee