Open vs. Closed Source: There Really Is No Competition

Is there really the level of competition in the open source world that we see in the closed source world? This is something that has been stuck in my mind lately as I have been told so many times by closed source developers that by opening the code you are creating your own competition. Today, I’m here to explore this theory and hopefully prove why it’s false.

With open source software, the business model is different from closed source. Take Songbird, for instance. Like iTunes, we have a music portal app that allows users to browse and listen to their music in a very innovative way. Unlike closed source alternatives, however, Songbird will play on all three major operating systems, in addition to letting the user browse embedded music on the artist’s site. Then throw in Firefox-like extensions for further user inspired customization and you have yourself a fantastic little media browser.

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