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View Full Version : Whats more important, opensource or crossplatform?



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?

lyceum
October 22nd, 2007, 01:29 PM
I want everything to be FOSS (free the code, not the $$'s). That said, if it is not open, it should still work on all platforms. I voted unsure, bucause I could not vote for both.

saulgoode
October 22nd, 2007, 01:47 PM
Open Source IS cross-platform. The reason FMA and Miranda are not cross-platform is because they depend on closed, proprietary libraries.

Software which is "mostly" Open Source is not enough. Giving someone keys to nine of the ten locks on a door does not "open" that door.

Dragonbite
October 22nd, 2007, 02:44 PM
Open Source IS cross-platform. The reason FMA and Miranda are not cross-platform is because they depend on closed, proprietary libraries.

Software which is "mostly" Open Source is not enough. Giving someone keys to nine of the ten locks on a door does not "open" that door.OpenWorkbench (http://www.openworkbench.org/)and Paint.NET (http://www.getpaint.net/) are open source but are not cross platform (well... I think Paint.NET is sort-a ported to linux via Mono .. but not quite (yet) there).

I voted for Cross-platform because whether I'm using Windows or Linux (or Mac theoretically) I like having choice and I like not being locked in to one or the other.

Once the barriers are removed for what you "can" and "cannot" do then an operating system becomes just a kernel.