By the way, Netscape continues to improve its products. Its acquisition by America Online, the leading Internet service provider, only strengthened it. No doubt there are would-be innovators who chose not to take on the efficient industry leader. The same thing can be said of any industry. If we are doing a proper accounting, we must point out that the large base of Windows users creates economies of scale for anyone who wants to produce applications for Windows-based computers.
Consumers benefit from a standard operating system.
It spares them confusion and spawns a large array of software. The free market solves that problem by striking the best balance between stability and dynamism. The belief that Microsoft has a secure place even in the operating-system market is ludicrous. Rival Linux is spreading, and several manufacturers sell computers Linux-ready. Investors have been eager to put money down on this Microsoft rival.