&#62; If this sort of model were ever to win, it would be hard to go back, users don't necessarily understand the argument of "openness".<p>But they do understand "that particular very useful software won't run on this machine".<p>&#62; So unless you are implying that its impossible for there only ever to be closed systems (which I wouldn't be so sure of), then we agree.<p>That <i>is</i> what I'm saying. Some large fraction of software development is done in-house; closed platforms wouldn't allow this, and it's expensive enough that if it wasn't important it probably wouldn't be done now. In the past, sufficiently useful software has come with a bundled computer; if this had to be done regularly, <i>someone</i> would see an opportunity to sell an open computer that could run more than one kind of software.