Apple is sitting, IIRC, at around 8% of the desktop, and Linux/Unix around 4%. I figure that KDE has at least half the Linux/Unix desktop market, so combined that is 10% of the desktop.

This kind of alliance is huge, because a MUCH higher percentage of Linux users are programmers than Apple users, while Apple brings a marketshare and a marketshare that will pay for commercial applications.

If you can create a common language for developing MacOS X applications and KDE applications, you now have a competitive desktop standard.

Java has the potential, Mac is pushing Java, hard. KDE pushing Java hard would also create this alliance. GNOME will never push Java, but pushing a REAL KDE-Java solution (this is a start of course...) will let you combine those markets and create something interesting.

Alternatively, get Trolltech to port QT to Cocoa, and port the KDE Libs to Cocoa, so that you can build KDE/MacOS X applications in the KDE Library space that will run natively on both...

Just a thought...

Alex Hochberger
Feratech, Inc.

• Re: Why Java or Objective C Bindings are huge. by Alex Hochberger on Thursday 01/Mar/2001, @13:14

  Let me rephrase. While GNOME has a JNI layer, GNOME programmers/users/FSF-types/slashdotters will NEVER push GNOME. :)

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• Re: Why Java or Objective C Bindings are huge. by SomeOtherGuy on Thursday 01/Mar/2001, @18:50

  Your rephrasing made you make even less sense, I can't tell what you mean, all I can get out of this is that people will never push the GNOME platform, which dosen't realy make sense. Sorry but can you please clarify?

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• Re: Why Java or Objective C Bindings are huge. by Alex Hochberger on Friday 02/Mar/2001, @10:03

  Sorry, what I was trying to get at was that the people pushing GNOME (users, loudmouths, etc.) seem to have this hatred of Java. Part of this is political (GNOME started because of a dispute over QT licensing; while the real reason was RMS's admirable goals of a GNU system require a fully GPL'd solution, preferably under FSF's copyright), part is technology (GNOME/GTK is based upon C, and part of it was complaints about C++ and Object Oriented programming in general, if you wanted to build OO Apps, you'd be using KDE/QT before GNOME/GTK. The point I'm getting at is the anti-Java, anti-OO, pro-GNOME faction, which is a REALLY loud vocal minority, will never make Java for GNOME seem like a Kosher option. They'll be major bitching and whining about anything significant being Java based, and how C was the epitomy of computer knowledge. Does that make more sense or should I respond again?

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• Re: Why Java or Objective C Bindings are huge. by Robert on Saturday 10/Mar/2001, @11:15

  Thanks for clearing but, but I wouldn't say anti-OO, if you have ever seen Gtk.

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• Re: Why Java or Objective C Bindings are huge. by Robert on Saturday 10/Mar/2001, @11:18

  Thanks for clearing but, but I wouldn't say anti-OO, if you have ever seen Gtk.

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• Re: Why Java or Objective C Bindings are huge. by Alex Hochberger on Friday 02/Mar/2001, @09:31

  Oh absolutely. The QT under X-Windows is a nice option, as every Unix geek will buy a commercial X Server or use the XonX from the XFree port. However, in my ideal world, I'd like native Aqua widgets. My reasoning is that having QT support on OS X through X Windows means that I can run my Unix apps on my GNU/MacOS box, but it doesn't fulfill the ideal. The ideal approach is that as a software developer, I can target both platforms with one application, which means that the combined KDE/MacOS X desktop market may be a reasonable market to target, even if the KDE, of MacOS markets aren't. If we could get GNOME to do the same (port GTK to MacOS X Aqua/Quartz), then MacOS becomes the peace-maker. An API that can target GNOME, KDE, and MacOS X results in a real market to target, and a growing one at that. Even if MacOS X doesn't bring Mac more marketshare, they will maintain their current 8%(?), which will be more than Unix/Unix-like desktops for 2-3 years minimum, and will be a significant market for at least 10... Think another way, as a programmer, I can build Free Software available for download without any support (including pretty GUI installers, etc.) and even make it available on my web site. I can make a commercial package for MacOS (under GPL if I want) that I charge to download from my site. MacOS users are much more likely to buy the package, so I can build free software and still earn a living. That's why a KDE/GNOME/MacOS-X alliance is key. It means revenue from Mac users can finance the development of good free software for KDE/GNOME/Unix geeks using MacOS-X.

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• Re: Why Java or Objective C Bindings are huge. by Robert on Saturday 10/Mar/2001, @23:33

  http://www.wxWindows.org

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• Re: Why Java or Objective C Bindings are huge. by Robert on Saturday 10/Mar/2001, @23:35

  http://www.wxWindows.org

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• Re: Why Java or Objective C Bindings are huge. by robert on Saturday 10/Mar/2001, @23:35

  Go to www.wxwindows.org

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