>>Craig. You are completely missing the point of the open source issue. It is not about whether a particular user can modify the source or not. Its about the fact that one can vs. one cannot.
>
>No, I totally understand this issue. However, why would the average user even CARE about this? Reality is, they don't.
>
>Let's go back to your idea of thousands of people improving an open source product and look at it from the point of view of the average user. In fact, let's pick an easy to discuss topic...a security hole that can let in a worm. How difficult would it be for the average user to patch a Linux system compared to a Windows system. I say it's MUCH easier to do on Windows. You just run Windows update. Now, think about how many people really do that....not many. My point is, the ability to have things easily changed in Linux is not important to the average user. Geeks like it. A few CEOs may like it, but it is meaningless to the average user.

>>Just because your mom can't modify it doesnt mean that there are not tens of thousands of others who can, and do, and in so doing improve a product that your mom can use, for free. Is this a bad thing? The correct car analogy is that you buy a car and there are thousands of people fixing and improving things on it that you can get for nothing.
>>
>>iro open source movement in general - at the very least if it does nothing more than increase competition in the marketplace then that, as a consumer, is to be welcomed.
>>




...">The average user will use the OS as it came installed."....

This isn't going to be true forever....and probably won't be true as long as you'd expect. People are becoming more knowledgable about computers these days. Yeah, you're mom isn't going to be modifiying her OS, you'd dad probably won't either - but yer kids sure will be.

You say "...No, I totally understand this issue. However, why would the average user even CARE about this? Reality is, they don't...."

...yeah well they will. Maybe in just a feeeeew more years. My advice? Buy some RHAT stock.