The I Lack X application in FOSS issue.

Lets start off with the basics. Foss applications development is part controlled by there users and heavily controlled by there developers.

Even this rule of users effecting end product apply to commercial programs.

Key to get that X application you want in Foss is to find a group of people with equal goals and provide feedback. Prefer a group of people who are using the Foss program for profit since they can provide coders. How can a coder create a interface you will like if you don't tell that coder want you want. Chicken and Egg problem. User says foss programs don't provide what they want. Coder cannot provide what User wants because user does not tell them or find them to tell them.

Lets take one application as an example and its possible replacement.

You want Sony Vegas open source and free. Best project out there for matching the requirements is a program called blender. Blenders goals are far huger than Sony Vegas. A single tool that can build and video edit a full 3d movie from begining to end.

Case study on Blender is interesting. At first most of it users were blender trained personal. So improving the interface was not important. Adding features to get stuff done has been. So out siders would come along and hit a nasty interface. Over time some users got past that nasty interface due to blender being the only thing providing particular features.

Since those people have got into the project the interface is improving. Currently most of Blenders population is 3d modelers so focus on the video production side is just means to ends.

Population in project is key to there development. Just like the population of Sony Vegas users has controlled its development.

The argument that open source cannot provide X program is a bad argument. The question should be why have not the seed population of users started work on X program and got X program good enough to be used by commercial interests.

Long lasting and great developing open source makes someone a profit somewhere so they pay for developers removing need for direct sales.

Basically people forget how important to a programs development are the users. As FOSS usage numbers grow so will the range of applications on hand.