----- Original Message ----- From: "D P Ingram" <[log in to unmask]> > On 26 maj 2007, at 03.01, Steven C. Barr(x) wrote: > > Can programs created specifically for non-Wintel systems generate > > the necessary sales to ensure profitability...?! > Or the question could be, is Windows the best platform to base these > on, as other affordable and maybe more reliable systems exist... > "Reliable" I'll concur with...though I have had very few crashes in almost two decades of running Windows (3.1,3.11,95,98...). Affordable, however, is a horse of a different question! It is both simple and cheap to buy not-quite-state-of-the-art Wintel machines which include Windows and may include applications (if bought from original owners) for prices running from $499 (dual-core Pentium, 2GB memory, with WinXP, 250GB HD) to the c.$150 range...I rarely see discounted Macs! Of course, one could buy a no-o/s system ($50 to $150) and install Linux as on o/s...but that, for me, would involve a "learning curve!" However, if I could find the right learning tools, and a book/list related to Pentium op codes, I suppose I could write my OWN o/s... I doubt if many modern-day virus creators program on a chip-language level... Then again, I'm already 64.5, so it's open to question if I have the time to program on that level (mainly learning HOW!) myownself... ...stevenc