Well, I'm wary of anything that suggests the common joe or average man or what have you is an idiot. They're usually a good deal smarter than we (and I include myself in that) give them credit for. If the public hasn't latched on to Linux, it's probably not so much that they're idiotic or clueless as that Microsoft Windows is simply better for them.
What I'm seeing now in the stores is starting to scare me, to be honest. The local Wal-Mart used to have a whole aisle of PC games. Now it's shrunk to about 1/5 of an aisle and moved behind to a less accessible space--AND has to share that space with apps and productivity. Everything else is consoles, with about 75% going to Japanese consoles (console or handheld). It's not like Xbox or Xbox 360 is really dominating here either. This leads me to the conclusion that I don't like at all: Most people who buy a computer or even many who buy consoles never buy any software for it. They just use what is on the machine and that's it. I heard that from someone; maybe during a woot interview--that most people only buy 2 or at max 3 new games for a console after the buy it, period.
Who cares? Well, I think this might be a spot for netbooks to make a difference. Even if people aren't interested in going to Wal-Mart and buying new games or software, they might be lured with a micro-transaction and casual market stuff. I've seen it happen. My mother-in-law and grandpa, for instance, have bought several casual games and I'm pretty sure they've never even been to the computer section of Wal-Mart before. In short, the key here may be not just the O.S. or the netbook or the price, but really making it so easy and cheap to buy additional software. That might perhaps make a difference. But again, if everything is going to be browser and Java or flash-based, the o.s. is almost redundant anyway.
Well, I'm wary of anything that suggests the common joe or average man or what have you is an idiot. They're usually a good deal smarter than we (and I include myself in that) give them credit for. If the public hasn't latched on to Linux, it's probably not so much that they're idiotic or clueless as that Microsoft Windows is simply better for them.
What I'm seeing now in the stores is starting to scare me, to be honest. The local Wal-Mart used to have a whole aisle of PC games. Now it's shrunk to about 1/5 of an aisle and moved behind to a less accessible space--AND has to share that space with apps and productivity. Everything else is consoles, with about 75% going to Japanese consoles (console or handheld). It's not like Xbox or Xbox 360 is really dominating here either. This leads me to the conclusion that I don't like at all: Most people who buy a computer or even many who buy consoles never buy any software for it. They just use what is on the machine and that's it. I heard that from someone; maybe during a woot interview--that most people only buy 2 or at max 3 new games for a console after the buy it, period.
Who cares? Well, I think this might be a spot for netbooks to make a difference. Even if people aren't interested in going to Wal-Mart and buying new games or software, they might be lured with a micro-transaction and casual market stuff. I've seen it happen. My mother-in-law and grandpa, for instance, have bought several casual games and I'm pretty sure they've never even been to the computer section of Wal-Mart before. In short, the key here may be not just the O.S. or the netbook or the price, but really making it so easy and cheap to buy additional software. That might perhaps make a difference. But again, if everything is going to be browser and Java or flash-based, the o.s. is almost redundant anyway.
Matt Barton, Managing Editor
Location: St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA
Email: matt@armchairarcade.com