Suggestion: Hardware needs an OS

Digital Age DLC for Capitalism Lab
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kg79
Level 3 user
Posts: 52
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2016 10:13 pm

Suggestion: Hardware needs an OS

Post by kg79 »

So now we can produce operating systems and software which depends on it. If we create an OS we can chose which hardware it is for: either generetic hardware like desktops and laptops or custom hardware were we cab pick customized models for it. But on the other hands hardware seems to be shipped without an OS and the operating systems are just shipped via retail. So my idea would be to allow the hardware companies to license the OSes from from a software company (or create them on their own). Licensing don't need anything to be produced, as the OS would be just put on the hard disk. So no changes needed to the 3x3 layout, perhaps just a new bar at the bottom of the factory for licensing, similar to the e-commerce bar, where we pick a compatible OS to license. Depending on how good the OS is this should affect the quality of the PC or notebook. Also the amount of software available for the OS installed should affect the sales of the hardware, but there could be situations where there are several operating systems on the market compatible with the hardware, so these alternatives should also be taken into account. Selling a PC or notebook without an OS should also work, but in this case there must be compatible operating systems on the retail market to be able to sell such a PC, and of course in this case should be taken into account that a consumer has to purchase an OS on his own, which could be less attractive as buying a PC with a licensed OS installed, as the license would be much cheaper that adding the retail price for an OS.

This would give both hardware and software companies a lot of new strategic possibilities. There could be situations where you would concentrate on licensing and not sell operating systems in retail or the other way around, especially when thinking of custom hardware. Perhaps some companies would keep their OS for themselves like Apple does, where others would try to offer alternatives.

With the introduction of smartphones, consoles and tablets the possibilities would raise, as all those devices are nothing more than computers in another shape. There should be possible to use the same OS for all devices with the same compatibility all over those different devices, but for each to enable you would have to research special technologies. Same OS core technology for all, but different techs when it comes to OS input and OS display. So the last two should be split across the devices: OS input for PC, OS input for phones, OS input for consoles, OS input for tablets, same with OS display. If you have researched some of these, you are able to unlock your OS for the next version on that device. But beware of quality: making such a big OS would have large quantitiv advantages, but could lower the quality of the whole OS as it would get massively complex. Let's say you have a desktop OS with tech levels for core, input and display at 300. then you add a phone branch to it at levels which are much lower e.g. 100. In this case the quality would be affected and even though you would get a lot of customers from phones, a competitor in the PC business could come with a better PC-only OS and cost you a lot of market share there. So it might be a better idea to separate the phone and PC market. Or at some point other increase the quality or concentrate on phones...

Perhaps the speed of researching OS display and OS input for other devices should be affected by your tech level already reached in your first branch. But there should be the possibility to have more than one OS per company for the case that we want separate operating systems for different devices. Again, think of Apple on the one hand: they have macOS for desktops and notebooks and iOS for tablets and phones, both running with the same core. On the other hand you have Microsoft trying to spread the same OS across the devices. Windows 10 runs on PCs, notebooks and tablets and even phones but the phone branch... we shouldn't speak about it;-)
TheDiaz
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2016 7:13 pm

Re: Suggestion: Hardware needs an OS

Post by TheDiaz »

I believe computers sold without a bonus/debuff on sales. For example, because you are only selling the hardware it becomes cheaper to produce the computer than selling it without an OS, while producing it with one should give it a tech increase based on the comparison beetwen the different OSs on the market and software compatibility.
kg79
Level 3 user
Posts: 52
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2016 10:13 pm

Re: Suggestion: Hardware needs an OS

Post by kg79 »

The producing costs of a computer with an OS installed compared to one without an OS should just differ in the costs for the licence, as the process of installing it would be really low in mass production. The benifit would be a higher quality based on a formula which takes the OS quality and the amount of apps for it as into account. If there are also other OSes on the market, the possibility of also installing them should also give the quality of the computer a plus, but at a much lower level. The formula could get very complicated;-)

But I wouldn't go so far that you would also have to include a physical DVD with it...
TheDiaz
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2016 7:13 pm

Re: Suggestion: Hardware needs an OS

Post by TheDiaz »

Probably a factor based on the amount of software available for the OS would have an increase on the Computer quality.
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