Comment 1315 for bug 1

> Computer stores are usually tied up with Microsoft in their sales/discount.
> It boils up to risks presented to stores such as if they sell Linux they may
> lose their "discount/promo" from Microsoft. Will the demand for other
> platforms counter this risk? I don't know. It will take a big technology
> company to push something just like what Google did with nexus one to push
> Android and create the buzz.
Big stores yes. Small local stores however goes into the standard OEM program. The stores create the demand for most customers. De average customers just wanna browse the internet, mail and stuff like that. And when things do not work they go to the store for help. So give the stores a better deal where they make more money, and they will flip. Of course the gamer segment will stat with Windows for a while more. However break into the non-gamer segments we can get enough users for game companies to bother releasing their game for Linux.

Android should be seen a an example that it can be done. ChromeOS will surely break some ground in the segment described above. Chrome is also available for Ubuntu so the applications that run on ChromeOS will run there to. I think that Chrome will do what Java never did - break developers away from the Windows API. It will still be bound to the x86 platform but at least we will be liberated from the domination of Windows. Chrome apps and games will run on Windows to so no-one will bother to make native Windows apps if they make a Chrome version.

Chrome will have a the ability to run games at near-native speed without installers, just like we hoped Java Applets would be able to do. And games written for Chrome will work on any platform Chrome is ported to, including ChromeOS. There will also be a store for apps written for Chrome. While I would have hoped for something more open like Java, this will still be awesome.