Re: Killing Linux won\'t be this cheap
The reason that I say that Linux is not yet ready to compete with Windows on the gaming front is that practically all new games, especially 3d games, are programed to run on DirectX. A few will run on Wine under Linux, but the compatibility is still very very low right now, but it is improving, so it is something to definitely keep an eye on.
So far as gaming on a Mac goes, you are right that most of the *major* games get a port to Mac, but they usually only do this with nothing the most high grossing blockbuster games. Most of the games that I own have no Mac port at all. Also, the Mac port is almost always released significantly later than the Windows port, sometimes more than a year later. For kids wanting to play the latest and greatest new game releases that all of their friends have, this delay is totally unacceptable and that is why over 90% of homes are still running Windows, because of this gaming monopoly.
If you go into most any computer store (and especially chain stores) today and look at the Mac games section, you will find that it comprises only about 10% that of the games that are designed to run under Windows. A lot of big chain stores (non-computer specific stores) don't even have a Mac or Linux section at all! I would like this very much to change, but facts are facts. Windows pretty well controls the PC gaming market, lock stock and barrel.
That is why I said that in order for Linux (or even Mac) to compete toe-to-toe with Windows, this must change somehow. The best solution that I can see happening in the future is for the 2 big 3d graphics card manufactures to get together with some of the major games manufactures and create an open games programming standard to directly compete with DirectX that will work on Windows, Linux or Mac so that versions of games for all 3 platforms would be a breeze to port to.
If you've kept up with the news over the last few years, Microsoft has done everything in it's power to keep just this scenario from happening. I could go into a long tirade and discuss some of the dirty little tricks that they've used over the years to keep this from happening, but that would be another very long post unto itself. Suffice to say, Microsoft is a crooked monopoly and it will be nice to see the competition take it down.