KhaaL
October 22nd, 2007, 12:45 PM
Let me start out by saying that I am a advocate for open starndards & formats - i always encourage people to use them over propeitary ones.
But I think that this isn't the case with software. As I see it, the user gains more from good crossplatform software than from good opensource software, since only those who know how to program may benefit directly from opensource. Sure, the average user also benefits but only if it's actively developed and people contribute to it.
But there is great opensource programs that aren't cross-platform and only runs on one. Floats mobile agent (http://fma.sourceforge.net/) is a great opensource app, but for windows only. So is Miranda IM (http://www.miranda-im.org/). If they were cross-platform instead of opensource, I'm sure the average user would enjoy them more.
Look at Mercury IM (http://www.mercury.to/), a great msn client that's cross-platform, but closed source. It dosen't matter to me, as long as the program is of high quality and I can use it in my OS of choice. There's also a lot of cross-platform games (NWN, UT2k4, ET:QW) that are closed source, but hey, even though they cost money - they're great and work on the OS we use!
The lengthy post aside, what's more important to you, the opensourceness or cross-platformness in software? Do you think that the average user can benefit more than the programming user from opensource software compared to crossplatform software?
But I think that this isn't the case with software. As I see it, the user gains more from good crossplatform software than from good opensource software, since only those who know how to program may benefit directly from opensource. Sure, the average user also benefits but only if it's actively developed and people contribute to it.
But there is great opensource programs that aren't cross-platform and only runs on one. Floats mobile agent (http://fma.sourceforge.net/) is a great opensource app, but for windows only. So is Miranda IM (http://www.miranda-im.org/). If they were cross-platform instead of opensource, I'm sure the average user would enjoy them more.
Look at Mercury IM (http://www.mercury.to/), a great msn client that's cross-platform, but closed source. It dosen't matter to me, as long as the program is of high quality and I can use it in my OS of choice. There's also a lot of cross-platform games (NWN, UT2k4, ET:QW) that are closed source, but hey, even though they cost money - they're great and work on the OS we use!
The lengthy post aside, what's more important to you, the opensourceness or cross-platformness in software? Do you think that the average user can benefit more than the programming user from opensource software compared to crossplatform software?