| - The number of software programs that can be | | | | and Chrome. |
| installed on a variety of operating systems has | | | | - Office suites were once limited to Microsoft Office |
| increased astronomically. In the past, Apple computer | | | | and WordPerfect, with WordPerfect becoming a |
| users were limited to a handful of programs available | | | | smaller and smaller market share. With open source |
| for that platform, limiting the market share for Apple | | | | coding, other options are emerging, including Google |
| users. | | | | Docs, Zoho, and the most notable being OpenOffice, |
| - Internet browsers were limited to one or two | | | | an entirely free package that is competing with |
| competitors, but there are many competitors for this | | | | Microsoft Office. 20% of OpenOffice users are now |
| market now, including Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, | | | | using this suite for work purposes, including some |
| and Chrome. | | | | government offices. |
| - Office suites were once limited to Microsoft Office | | | | Variety in Hardware |
| and WordPerfect, with WordPerfect becoming a | | | | Computers have had similar pendulum swings in the |
| smaller and smaller market share. With open source | | | | popularity of their hardware, most notably in |
| coding, other options are emerging, including Google | | | | processors. At one time, all Microsoft computers relied |
| Docs, Zoho, and the most notable being OpenOffice, | | | | on Intel processors and Apple computers, which were |
| an entirely free package that is competing with | | | | a much smaller share of the market, used Motorola |
| Microsoft Office. 20% of OpenOffice users are now | | | | processors. AMD began to compete with Intel for the |
| using this suite for work purposes, including some | | | | market on Microsoft computers, making significant |
| government offices. | | | | inroads during their fierce competition. A few years |
| Variety in Software | | | | ago, another shift took place when Motorola was |
| At one time, the majority of computing was done on | | | | abandoned by Apple in favour of the Intel processor. |
| Windows-based software, almost exclusively on | | | | Competition and variety in computer hardware is not |
| Microsoft products. A small group, primarily | | | | limited to processors, but processors are a good |
| graphics-intensive users, used Apple products and an | | | | example of this competition, showing the swing in the |
| even smaller group, mostly scientists and academics, | | | | marketplace and driving a portion of the technological |
| used Unix for their computing needs. With the | | | | advancement. |
| popularity in open source coding on the rise, a | | | | Why is Variety Healthy? |
| renewed interest in Apple products, and a growing | | | | With variety in computer hardware and software, |
| population interested in Linux, the pendulum is swinging | | | | comes growth and new ideas in the marketplace. Not |
| towards a variety for both operating systems and the | | | | long ago, computers were functional for limited |
| software applications that go with them. | | | | purposes and a limited time frame. As the newer |
| - The number of software programs that can be | | | | models came out, the small portion of software |
| installed on a variety of operating systems has | | | | available would cater to the new machines and it |
| increased astronomically. In the past, Apple computer | | | | became harder to support older machines. Now that |
| users were limited to a handful of programs available | | | | there are so many computers in use, software |
| for that platform, limiting the market share for Apple | | | | companies no longer cater solely to the latest and |
| users. | | | | greatest, but rather the widest range of machines |
| - Internet browsers were limited to one or two | | | | possible. In turn, these trends have opened up the |
| competitors, but there are many competitors for this | | | | market for resale, used, and wholesale computers and |
| market now, including Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, | | | | computer parts. |