2. Platform independence Platform independence means you are not stuck with a single vendor or a single operating system –Even if you would be happy using Windows 95 for the rest of your life, it isn’t going to happen –Even if your company is 100% Microsoft, sooner or later they will have to interact with someone who isn’t For example: you have probably already discovered that it’s foolish to send a Microsoft Word document to someone without first asking if they have Microsoft Word (I have MS Word, but years ago I quit using it to write anything; I use HTML as my word processor) –Despite Microsoft’s best efforts, not everyone uses Microsoft’s platforms and products

3. How do you buy a car? Here’s how most people choose a car: –Explore the range of models available –Compare prices and features –Seek out the opinions of friends –Look up reliability and safety ratings –Finally, buy the prettiest one Moral: Appearance is important, but most people have their priorities screwed up