[ThomasWinwood]

They could do what Apple did and provide a Windows compatibility layer which gets progressively more buried as old software gets replaced until it's just kept around for the weird stuff that never gets properly updated because it's maintained by a rotating set of undergrads.

[hughrr]

They tried that with the App Store stuff. That was supposed to be the new world. But it wasn’t compelling, the store sucked and still does today and it was and still is like wading in excrement working on that side of things.

[fnordsensei]

Then it seems like a problem with execution rather than a fundamental problem with the concept.

Especially with Apple as a largely successful counterexample.

[hughrr]

Oh yes exactly that. It's a terrible execution of a good idea.