Linux vs. Windows: A Comparison of Application and Platform InnovationIncentives for Open Source and Proprietary Software Platforms

摘要

The chapter analyzes and compares the investment incentives of platformand application developers for Linux and Windows. We find that the levelof investment in applications is larger when the operating system isopen source rather than proprietary. The comparison of the levels ofinvestment in the operating systems depends, among others, on reputationeffects and the number of developers. The chapter also develops a shortcase study comparing Windows and Linux and identifies new directions foropen source software research.