Submitted by It’s that time of the year again. “If ‘a year of GNU/Linux on the desktop’ is defined as a year when GNU/Linux has finally started its steady encroachment to the desktop then 2006 is the year. A lot of users have started using GNU/Linux on their desktops long before, but it is 2006 which marked the two probably biggest GNU/Linux desktop releases to date, Ubuntu Dapper and Novell SuSE 10. It is 2006 which marks the biggest opportunity for GNU/Linux to steal the desktop market share from Windows due to the bad reputation behind the pending Windows Vista release. And the eyes and focus of both the GNU/Linux community and major GNU/Linux corporations such as Novell are fixed on that opportunity. Novell marketing is true: ‘Your Linux is ready’.”
What’s with all the flamebait from Moulinneuf?
He’s doing his online comedian debut, can’t you tell? Why else would he submit articles that are so one-sided and lacking logic justifying a view, other than as satire? Let me explain.
When Linux is both perceived as being easier to install and administer than Windows XP and (when it becomes available) Vista, that will contribute to adoption on the desktop by mere mortals, but it honestly isn’t enough. When Linux is perceived to provide for all people’s needs (such as viewing content on the media that has some sort of DRM: like it or not, there are desktop users that actually expect that to work without searching for cracks of DRM systems that require them to be programmers) as well as running their existing software that isn’t available on Linux but is on Windows, or at least fully utilize their accumulated data, then there may be a better chance of people considering switching to Linux for their desktop OS. If Vista has such poor backwards compatibility (and they know of this before switching) with their existing software they already own, that will also be a contributing factor, which is one of the most important: if they truly have nothing to lose financially or in terms of time reconstituting their production system, it becomes far more viable.
And let’s not forget the biggest issue: people just don’t feel like going through all the time and hassle required to migrate everything they currently have setup in terms of data and applications to solve their problems/needs, and then learn how to do it with new software, or hope WINE or something along those lines actually runs their old software well enough. Even if you’re so slanted as to state “Linux is the best possible desktop system!” it is important to remember that the enemy of the best is what is “good enough” and unless the perception of going from “good enough” to “best” provides a meaningful enough jump in value for someone, the investment barrier (not always measured in purchase price, but also in time and effort) is too high for all but the most adventurous to bother with, because the risk is high enough to say “Maybe next year!” until they think about it again, which may again have them think the same thing.
If Windows Vista and the next version of OS X are really bad for desktop users, and users don’t have an option to use older versions of Windows and OS X, then those that are buying new hardware will have a much higher chance of thinking about Linux. Until then, no real or perceived added value of whatever zealots say matters one bit.
I think that if you are savvy enough to know what Linux is, you’re probably already aware that Linux is as easy (typically easier) to install and administrate as Windows XP.
That is not an issue as home user’s almost never install an OS. They buy a PC and it comes with Windows — and thus they’re system at work ought to work the same way.
They key to market dominance has nothing to do with the quality or fit of the product to the needs or wants of the consumer. It’s about placement, perception, and ease of the sale. Windows — you get it by default. Linux — you need to specify it. Therefore, there will always be more Linux than Windows systems. Even if Linux read your thoughts and did your bidding in 1000th the time on hardware that costs 1/10th as much, that sould be insufficient to overcome the marketing variables.
I use Linux exclusively at work. Various parts of the research organization have adopted Linux at the desktop too, but there are still traditional wet-labs in our org where it’s largely unknown. When I give talks/presentations I often get comments about the desktop (they can tell it’s not Windows, and it doesn’t look like a Mac, yet it seems easy to use — particularly things like the HTML and PDF preview icons they like for some reason). Those that do use it find it more or less a suitable replacement. Yet, our IT department has no knowledge of Linux per se (so a different department internal to research manages them — the attraction for most users is that Research has a lot less down-time and is more effective at responding to their needs).
Man… I don’t know what the heck you just said, Little Kid, but you’re special man, you reached out, and you touch a brother’s heart. +1 for you.
I aint a comedian , its not my first day on-line , I am not offering one sided article , all the article I submited where logical and justifying a view.
GNU/Linux is easier to install. People buy full turnkey integrated computers from Microsoft and Apple vendors. There is some lacking there but its much more better then you think and know.
The are people who offer the service for a very affordable price to migrate your information and data to GNU/Linux , its not an hassle anymore.
Its GNU/Linux , it stand on its own , you dont like it fine , dont use it. But you have to upgrade your predetermined old answer scripts , and try the new version and the service and new hardware in order to make a valid and accurate answer , things have changed , thigs will also continue to change and improve.
The user base is growing , by the millions , so it must work for some people and enterprise.
Not you , but its ok. We dont cather to you anyway.
eMagius , those who submit run the risk of getting there submited article picked-up … If you have something you would like to share the submit button is on the left and is called submit news.
I also submit a lot of article that the editors here do not select or that someone else posted/submited before me …
They’ve been claiming ‘this is the year of Linux on the desktop’ since color text installs in Slackware were considered to be a luxury item.
I’m not saying the time will never come, but when I hear my friends and co-workers (who all have computers at home and have no concept of what Linux is) talking about it, then I will know that it has arrived.
Edited 2006-09-01 15:02
The “Year of Linux on the Desktop” was like the early 2000s. That’s when people started to use it heavily on the desktop.
Linux on the desktop has been reality for years now, and now Linux has marketshare comparable to Apple. It’s already arrived — now it’s in the long, tough, uphill marketshare struggle with Microsoft.
“now it’s in the long, tough, uphill marketshare struggle with Microsoft. ”
Its not Microsoft fault GNU/Linux is not installed and offered as default on all major and minor hardware vendor.
“Its not Microsoft fault GNU/Linux is not installed and offered as default on all major and minor hardware vendor.”
Actually, in alot of cases it is, at least partly their fault. They are the ones breeding down the neck of these vendors and doing whatever they possibly can to keep them offering and recommending Windows boxes.
Why do you think are HP and Dell so shy in admitting they actually sell some GNU/Linux boxes, cause they do sell them. Once they get pass their “fear” and dependance on MS they will advertise their GNU/Linux boxes more. We can help them in that, by being ready to buy those boxes, vote with our wallets.
As GNU/Linux mind share grows, this option will become more attractive for major vendors as well.
You whant the answer , here it is , you whont like it do :
“Actually, in alot … recommending Windows boxes. ”
In a lot of cases its the GNU/Linux distribution themnself waiting for the hardware vendor to pay them to support there hardware …
Microsoft pays the hardware vendor to get on the prototype and do joint sales and pay for supporting the hardware.
You missed history where IBM lost to Windows on its own hardware. There not good , There not the best , they play to be the only on to win.
“Why do you think are HP and Dell so shy in admitting they actually sell some GNU/Linux boxes ”
There not shy , just listen to there press release : We Support GNU/Linux !! They make hundred of millions from it too. They are going to defend the fact that they too have GNU/Linux box and that they support many distributions.
http://www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS3822185143.html
When come the time to get on the prototype do : “well we dont see that this new and excittings models are going to be able to sale a lot with GNU/Linux , look we already got our old box that no one wanted with windows that are shipping with GNU/Linux and sale are not that good there …
You should have seen the face of the Dell rep when I asked to get access to the XPS M2010 , XPS M1710 , XPS M1210 , Inspiron 9400 , Inspiron 640m , Inspiron 6400, Inspiron 1300 , when they where in prototype.
“We dont have those models and we dont plan on having model with those names , we also dont dicsuss futur plan … ”
“Once they get pass their “fear” and dependance on MS they will advertise their GNU/Linux boxes more. ”
The problem is right there its not Dell who advertise Microsoft , its Microsoft who advertise Dell with Microsoft products.
“We can help them in that, by being ready to buy those boxes, vote with our wallets.
”
That as not been working for ages … you missed reality where they already make hundred of millions with GNU/Linux.
“As GNU/Linux mind share grows ”
We dominate in everything but the desktop …
even on the new Dell the Media direct system is GNU/Linux based …
“this option will become more attractive for major vendors as well.”
Microsoft major vendor will not be the first to become GNU/Linux major vendor.
Then whose is it, pray? Pollyanna’s?
2007 WILL be the year of desktop linux!
The cool thing is – every year is the year of desktop linux. Can you name a year that linux did not drastically advance and improve?
I think we can all thank ourselves (each other not yourself) that we (advanced users) are the anchor of linux and we are the ones that are getting people to try linux.
Welcome to the movement – what a great movement it is.
(man I am such a zealot fanatic)
Stop the presses! I think we may have a winner for first post announcing 2007 as the year for desktop linux!
Given recent replies about noobs, beginners, and so forth in other threads, and what at best a damn bother they are, I would ask you to reflect on the idea that Linux on the desktop will only happen when said zealots have the same attitude to new computer users that folk who know, use, push and write about, *for example* Microsoft have – non-tech ways of communicating that are clear, supportive, instructive, and help folk get things done. Check out my posts, I have also recognized that Windows, for example, can be a pain, but at least I can now put stuff together for folk, and troubleshoot for them and myself, because the information is available, clearly communicated and posited on known and relatively predictable platform parameters.
Meanwhile, latest Kubuntu grief at finding Ark is still mangled in KDE while trying to do an offline install of nvidia drivers using a .deb package…Good grief, Charlie Brown!!
You do realise that its a news website ( OsNews ) , its not a support or help website for any OS.
You seem very familliar with insulting , name calling and I will dare suggest lying about the platform and its users and developpers.
Its strange that with such a good attitude and with suck knowledge of the platform your having problem with it , and dont get anyone to help you in a good manner , I was being cynical here.
” Kubuntu grief at finding Ark ”
Its two different distribution , its like asking Honda to find GM or Fords …
“is still mangled in KDE ”
How would you know ? Your machine is not properly setup , probably on troublesome hardware , by YOU …
“do an offline install of nvidia drivers using a .deb package”
Go on-line … your even sure you know how to install software offline ?
“Good grief, Charlie Brown!! ”
Hey ! leave comic book hero out of your own self inflicted stupidity.
Your not interested in fixing the problem , or learning how to make it work properly. There is no miracle here.
Your certainly discussing it in the wrong place and not looking at the right people for an answer.
You know how to do it in Windows and Mac OS X , thats good there its not going to help you one iota in GNU/Linux.
Try this :
http://www.linuxforum.com/
And this :
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
but in your case I think you would be better sreved by This :
http://lxer.com/module/forums/t/23168/
You need a book ? :
http://www.oreilly.com/pub/topic/linux
etc …
to search on the web :
Google.com
Yahoo.com
Actually, I was making reference to the compression utility, not the Linux distro, i.e:
http://packages.debian.org/stable/utils/ark
second, I was following the exact instructions at:
http://doc.gwos.org/index.php/Latest_Nvidia_Dapper#METHOD_1_-_OFFLI…
on a clean install of Kubuntu 6.06
I know this is not a user forum – I was merely using a concrete illustration, albeit in some frustration, to show that using Linux, including the distributon which is frequently touted as the most user-friendly, isn’t always up to expectations as a desktop experience.
I hope that unpacks the scenario for you a little
While I think Linux IS ready for the desktop, you can’t really call it the year of the Linux desktop until all those people actually start switching.
And if you want to define it in terms of Windows Vista, then I’d say the last quarter of 2006 and then first three quarters of 2007 will be your year. But the problem is we’re all assuming as of 2007, once Vista is released, everyone will HAVE to switch.
If that were true, a lot of resentful people just MIGHT move to Linux or Macintosh. I’d say those particular dates because that’s right around the time Vista will come out and a lot of people will be most unsure whether they want it. By the end of 2007, all new computers will come running Vista anyway, and the amount of people who might consider upgrading to a different OS entirely rather than get new hardware will shrink dramatically.
But then again, unless there’s massive Linux adoption I wouldn’t call 2007 the year of the Linux desktop. And continuing the steady (small) adoption rate doesn’t count.
Microsoft is NOT losing to GNU/Linux IMHO
MicroSoft is losing to itself. Hasta la Vista, baby.
This is the way Windows dies, This is the way Windows dies, This is the way Windows dies, Not with a bang but a whimper…
after different -and short- tries in the past years, this time I switched for good from XP to Ubuntu. I must say that the last straw was not WGA, but a free vmware player…
And I really enjoy it. I am sure many others will do it too. I know it BY EXPERIENCE.
I like GNU/Linux as much as the next geek, but I am so sick and tired of these articles. The time to declare a certain year as “year of desktop linux” will be after the fact, when GNU/Linux has a signifigant proportion of the desktop mindshare among normal users.
This annual declaration, just makes us all look like idiots, hoping for something year after year that never seems to happen, or at the very least naive and overly optimistic.
Sorry but it’s become a tradition, stopping them would be like trying to have Christmas or Ramadan removed from the calendar.
It happens every year, it’s just that the detractors keep changing the goalposts.
Back in the 1990s when Linux was just something geeks and server folks used, “year of the Linux desktop” implied “the year when regular folks started using Linux on the desktop”. Through government, corporate, and educational rollouts, this goal happened years ago. Then the detractors shifted goalposts. They went from saying “nobody will ever use Linux on the desktop” to “Linux will never achieve significant marketshare on the desktop.” Yet, a year or two later, it equaled OS X in desktop marketshare. Now, the detractors resort to defining arbitrary marketshare figures to say that Linux still hasn’t become a player in the desktop market. When Linux reaches 10% desktop marketshare, the detractors will say “you need at least 50% to be a real competitor!” When it reaches 50%, through massive rollouts in the developing world, the detractors will so “oh, all those poor people in India and Africa and those commies in Latin America don’t count — what matters is your US marketshare…”
@rayiner – you said it perfectly.
Linux keeps growing on the destkop, and the detractors keep saying it isn’t, by as you said, moving the goal posts.
Also, they going back to the same old, completely false, anti Linux FUD – it’s too hard, you can’t get “insert item here” to work, it’s only for geeks, it’s for commies, blah blah blah.
And yet, companies like Novell, Linspire and Xandros keep seeing increased revenue on selling Linux desktops. And yet, Ubuntu keeps spreading like wildfire. And yet, more and more distros keep popping up (if they can even exist, means that there is a huge market in order to support such small niche players). And yet you can stick a Knoppix CD in your CD rom, reboot, and everything will just work with 98% of hardware. So on and so on.
Yes, the desktop Linux market share is still comparitively tiny, especially if you only count units sold/shipped, like IDC does. The market share gets much bigger when you consider downloads, and word of mouth, and giving out CDs, etc. Linux has an unmeasureable (by traditional means) market, because so much of it’s use is free downloads, and spreading from there.
And I think the article has credibility in that Microsoft is indeed doing things to drive customers away, especially more savvy ones like the guy in the article. I’ve known, through my coworkers and through my company’s customers, the nightmare of having to replace and/or upgrade hardware in a computer, and try to install and re-activate WinXP. The way MS is handling it is a friggin joke, continually pissing off it’s users.
Then there is the Visual Studio fiasco. Over the years VS has really been one of the driving factors for MS’s market dominance. VS6 was really great. Then MS decided to force all it’s market/developers into .Net, because, well, they had to have a Java clone (and a non cross platform one at that). The result is a lot of pissed off developers, and developers not being to develop software the way the best suited their needs. My company is going through the VS6 to VS 2005 migration pain right now. And when it comes down to the nitty gritty details of developing softare, and the way things are handled, and the bulky, memory hogging CLR, .Net is a complete piece of sh!t as compared to VS6.
In short, Microsofts market dominance and critical mass will dictate that they’ll maintain the lions share of hte dominance for a long time to come. But they are doing things to push people away. And Linux just keeps getting better and better, and in spite of the detractors, it’s very easy to use and works with most stuff.
Linux is winning. Slowly. But gradually chipping away.
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
“Yes, the desktop Linux market share is still comparitively tiny, especially if you only count units sold/shipped, like IDC does. The market share gets much bigger when you consider downloads, and word of mouth, and giving out CDs, etc. Linux has an unmeasureable (by traditional means) market, because so much of it’s use is free downloads, and spreading from there. “
I think internet activity is a good measure of how many people are using a particular OS, and the various internet stats sites all say that Linux has at ~0.4%, Mac is at ~4%, and Windows has the rest.
In one sense, it’s pretty hard for Windows user percentage to go up; it can pretty much only go down, not due to any improvements in other OSes, but just by the law of averages over time. But it’s amusing that every year since 1997 has been the “year of Linux on the desktop” when Mac has 10x the userbase of Linux.
Only problem with that is that GNU/Linux system report as windows system , for security reason first and because otherwise you get told that your os and system and browsers are not compatible with the website your viewing …
Mac user base is lower then GNU/Linux user base. its like saying Apple is crunching Dell on the market , they sell 400 time the computer hardware Apple does.
We have a 30% user base that use Apple hardware. They dont exist on other hardware …
That’s a better statistic than professional studies by IDC and the like?
Internet stats are a horrible benchmark. It’s almost the very nature of a website that its demographics are not representative of the overall population.
Linux desktop deployments have thus far been heavily in educational, corporate, and government sectors. These users are often discouraged from personal web-viewing, and many (especially school users) are behind network proxies. All these users are going to be highly underrepresented in internet statistics.
“Yes, the desktop Linux market share is still comparitively tiny, especially if you only count units sold/shipped, like IDC does. The market share gets much bigger when you consider downloads, and word of mouth, and giving out CDs, etc. Linux has an unmeasureable (by traditional means) market, because so much of it’s use is free downloads, and spreading from there.”
My K12 organization has 200+ Windows servers. Not one was bought with an OS. We buy the OS through a reseller to get the Academic discount.
Most large enterprises buy servers without an OS too since they have an Enterprise Agreement with OS and media etc etc.
IDC tries to take into account both free downloads and the case of companies buying the OS seperately.
Linux market share on the desktop is .4%. I suspect it is overrated on the server space too.
My guess is that most companies that do buy a server with Linux on it replace it with a pirated copy of Windows anyway.
“My K12 organization has 200+ Windows servers. Not one was bought with an OS. We buy the OS through a reseller to get the Academic discount. ”
They have money to waste …
“Linux market share on the desktop is .4% ”
GNU/Linux worldwide desktop market share is at 29%
if I am not mistaken .4% is the Linspire/freespire marketshare.
“I suspect it is overrated on the server space too.”
Yes the Microsoft rep told you so when visiting you for an upgrade on your license.
“My guess”
Your uninformed lies.
“most companies that do buy a server with Linux on it replace it with a pirated copy of Windows anyway.”
Why would they do that ? They only need to threaten to switch to GNU/Linux to get a new pricing that is below what the GNU/Linux offer is … Those that choose GNU/Linux whant and use GNU/Linux …
What source says that Linux desktop share is 29%?
Microsoft.
If I remember right it was something like :
Windows all desktop 54%
GNU/Linux * : 29%
Apple : 8%+ ( close to 9% )
All BSD : 1%+ ( close to 2% )
others : 8%+
* GNU/Linux is not yet a direct threat to our income.
18% of the 29% is non paying users.
22% of the 29% is seen as dual booting
20% of the 22% dual booting use illegal copies of windows.
– Windows XP Starter Edition is seen as a commercial failure and is not blocking the growth of GNU/Linux at all. those with illegal copy dont switch to it either , mostly due to it lacking features and alowing a limited number of programs running. they advise revision of feature for Windows Vista Starter in order to be a better challenging offer.
– Windows XP Tablet PC Edition due to the poor tablet PC demand is not allowing to gain sufficient market share against GNU/Linux who as had technical problem in that area , new tablet technology on the GNU/Linux platform are also meeting and in some case surpassing Windows XP tablet in some area , the recommandation was made to discontinue it as a stand alone product and merge it with the Media center platform.
———-
From me :
Microsoft is facing real problem in South America where the governments there are kicking it out because its from the US.
BRACK ( Brazil , Russia , Africa , Columbia , Korea )
Are really exploding in GNU/Linux converting.
Cuba as seen an increase in its online Computer population due to GNU/Linux.
China is Dual booting ( pirate ) but increasingly only booting GNU/Linux in governements.
India as one or two province who are anti GNU/Linux switch but the rest are dul booting and switching.
Microsoft is not able to deliver in some country as those country are on the blacklist of the US of A. Guess who is there.
There are language that Microsoft does not support but are locally supported by GNU/Linux. Microsoft made 20+ new conversion to try and fill the gap.
Vista not coming out is also making a lot of hardware maker nervous , Dell more then others.
if 22% out of 29% is dual booting that leaves 7% of pure linux users… why is the large majority of users dual booting? could be interesting to see if it is the same now that the mac offers the same possibility (like with Boot Camp).
I imagine that seen on a worlwide scale the percentage could indeed be more than the usual 2-3% that is attributed to linux… but still 29% sounds strange…
where do you get this numbers from, if I may ask?
I always make my numbers up… I figure they are at least as biased and inaccurate as everyone elses.
Same as in a war sideA says they killed 20 of the enemy(sideB) and sideB says only three were killed – so then you average somewhere between it to get a fairly accurate number. I call it guesstimating.
“why is the large majority of users dual booting? ”
Games , pirated software that dont run on GNU/Linux , because they share the computer ( wife like GNU/Linux , husband prefer windows , kid like to play game or play with GNU/Linux , vice versa ) …
“could be interesting to … (like with Boot Camp). ”
There always been a large number of GNU/Linux user that used Mac because they prefered the hardware and where dual booting , GNU/Linux is the second OS on the Apple hardware , look up the GNU/Linux PPC community.
“I imagine that seen … is attributed to linux…”
2%-3% is always based on sales and usually the United States only numbers. they only account for *systems* not component and discard most of the time white box makers who are something like 55- 63% of the desktop market.
“where do you get this numbers from, ”
Relative of a relative , I also got a mutual agreement with someone where we exchange data and news on some subjects , but I dont think she knows I have those numbers.
Microsoft people aint that bad , some of them are much nicer then some OSS advocate in person , and they are really , really , realy , smart.
“Windows all desktop 54%
GNU/Linux * : 29%
Apple : 8%+ ( close to 9% )
All BSD : 1%+ ( close to 2% )
others : 8%+ “
LOL
Wait, I thought Windows was a “monopoly”? How can that be if it has only 54% user share?
You cite no sources for your “statistics”, but check these out:
http://www.artlebedev.com/tools/browsers/
http://marketshare.hitslink.com/report.aspx?qprid=2
http://www.onestat.com/html/aboutus_pressbox46-operating-systems-ma…
http://www.thecounter.com/stats/2006/August/os.php
They all have Linux at ~0.5%, Mac at ~4%. These are real statistics, rather than your numbers from Fantasy Island.
“Wait, I thought Windows was a “monopoly”? ”
Yes , and they are convicted as one in the United States and in Europe and in Korea.
“How can that be if it has only 54% user share? ”
Its worldwide , try getting GNU/Linux on a Dell or HP notebook on there website on one of there normal offer.
“You cite no sources for your “statistics””
** Microsoft. **
top of the page …
“They all have Linux at ~0.5% ”
Yes , as I said ( you probably missed that ) a lot of GNU/Linux system report as windows system and browser in order to be able to access websites without any problem , I could show you some site that have 100% GNU/Linux visitors too …
“rather than your numbers from Fantasy Island.”
De plane , De plane ….
Do you really think anyone would invest in service for a .4% OS … Do you really think Microsoft would have doubled its OS investment in order to face Apple who dont even ship an OS on the platform they sale to …
believe your *real* statistics ….
I don’t want to see “If I remember right it was something like ” I want to see real links to this data. As far as I am concerned, you are full of BS. Linux usage may be higher outside of North America, but I doubt it is at 29%, 12-15% maybe. And I honestly state that is conjecture, not fact.
“GNU/Linux worldwide desktop market share is at 29%”
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha … etc.
“GNU/Linux worldwide desktop market share is at 29%”
that sounds a bit too optimistic doesn’t it? of course at least 50% of windows copies around are illegal, so that may not be counted as part of the market… but most linux copies around have been downloaded for free… so how can we speak about market share?
what about talking about usage share?
now the problem is how can we know… it’s a bit difficult to find out who is using what in a world that’s 7 Billions of peopl, admittedly only a small part is using computers… but still
(I think 25-29% were the numbers referring to the server market btw..)
Well said rayiner!
IMHO microsoft is not losing to Linux yet! Why? Because of simple things like flash, quicktime and other browser integreations which do not work. I just know I’m going to get flamed for this but here goes.
I have been using Linux for four years at my office and at home. My wife tried to use Lindows and then Linspire and she really like it. However she had to dual boot with XP to use flash, quicktime and Internet explorer for her college courses which required all these plugins. It seemed like every day when I came in I had to try to get something working that would have been simple in Windows.
Since Xandros seems to be going the way of Windows with activation and because Xandros 4.0 is erratic on my Intel pent4 Sata computer I am now on a distro called Linux-XP 2006. I couldn’t believe it but on first boot Linux-XP played DVDs, Flash, and with a simple install, Quicktime. It seems that Linux-XP has windows APIs installed by default. I know, those are proprietary programs, but I don’t care about that. I just want my computer to work and do the things I need it to when I need it!
I love linux and the day when these problems are no longer problems is when Linux will be ready for joe average, mom and pop, or and Insurance company on Wall Street.
my .02
penguin7009
Because of simple things like flash, quicktime and other browser integreations which do not work.
Tell that to my laptop, which plays Flash animations, surfs Apple’s own movie trailer site, plays DVDs and has Java 5 installed.
EasyUbuntu installed all of the above by checking a few boxes. I installed the mplayer-mozilla plugin from synaptic.
It seems that Linux-XP has windows APIs installed by default.
O RLY?
Is there an english site for it?
http://www.xandros.com/
http://www.xandros.com/about/contact_phone.html
A fee of $9 is charged after the 90th boot.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_XP
Ummm…right.
I left Windows to get away from that kind of BS! Why would anyone think I’d be willing to put up with it in Linux?
–bornagainpenguin
1. Microsoft has been losing to GNU/Linux from day one. For me, the Year of Desktop Linux was 1998; that doesn’t mean it was the same for every Linux user.
2. The time to proclaim 2006 as “The Year of Desktop Linux” (assuming it proves correct) will be in 2007 or 2008, when it’s *clear* it’s happened. This is like those silly “Sporting Personality of the Year” competitions which are held in September – a full four months before the end of the year.
3. Please STOP spelling out in black and white what MS is doing to accelerate GNU/Linux adoption. You never know, one of the dunderheads at Microsoft might be reading your blog, something might click, and they might even be able to get through to their suit, er manager. Then we’ll have to think of something else to do to screw them over.
First off, with the politicalization of Linux/Windows these days, I do think any article coming from Nuxified.org written by Joe Blow counts as journalism. Come on OSNews, can’t you do better than this? This is like FOX news reporting good coverage of Bush using some republican blog as a source.
As WorknMan says, when the average person starts talking about Linux, then let us have this discussion. But the reality now is that “Desktop” Linux is still years away from being any threat to Windows. Anyone that doesn’t think so, just ask them to set up wireless on their laptop…enough said. The geeks need to understand that for Linux to succede outside of Geekdom, the OS has to truly be made for the masses.
The only threat I see is if Apple decided to go all they way and release their latest OS for ALL PCs, not just Apple. Then with that choice, people may just decide to look at alternatives to Windows.
But in the end, Linux’s only true selling point is that it is free to download. While that may be popular with the geek community, it is simply not enough for the average user who could care less about an OS that was never designed to replace Windows.
Maybe instead of writing all these useless articles, people in the Linux community could take a good hard look at what the people really require in an OS and start from scratch building something that is reliable.
OSNews, were you just desperate for headlines to use today? This really was a useless article. Shame on you
Maybe instead of writing all these useless articles, people in the Linux community could take a good hard look at what the people really require in an OS and start from scratch building something that is reliable.
Windows more reliable than Linux? That’s not even worth laughing at.
Linux users and developers already know what “the people really require in an OS,” it’s your buddies in the proprietary hardware, closed-source, and DRM-friendly entertainment industries that are retarding progress in Linux, by not releasing open source drivers OR specifications, and making sure it’s illegal to watch DVD’s on Linux.
Example: VMware don’t support VMware Player or Workstation on Gentoo Linux, but they’re available. I don’t know whether they have helped the devs get them working on Gentoo, but if they haven’t, that’s just another example at how effective Linux developers are at getting things done, despite, not because of, the best efforts of the proprietary technology industry.
I use debian/PCLOS/FBSD on daily basis on my deskyop
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So should we celebrate every year now on as year of linux desktop?
Year of which linux desktop? knoppix, xandros, PCLOS, Mandriva, linspire or Ubuntu?
It is steadily beoming a joke without substantiate numbers. At the same time read the article : “is linux loosing steam?” on OSN or Digg http://osnews.com/comment.php?news_id=15688
The real world of desktop business is out of reach of cocooned brains of linux devels.
‘It works perfectly on my desktop/laptop’ argument is a shallow one I have ever seen. Look into mirror and ask only one question
How many MS desktop average users/friends/family members/bosses I have successufully converted to linux? if your answer is <10 people, then it is long way to persue 90% of population to convince to leave MS and convert to magic desktop of Ubuntu or Suse.
Before taking on 800 pound desktop gorilla, first step is learn to fly my dear butterflies
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welcome to mod down this rant
Edited 2006-09-01 15:55
Are you seriously trying to get us to believe that the piss-poor article you cited is definitive proof of “The Year of the Linux Failure”?
Probably, as seriously as you expect us to believe that despite your constant ranting trolling, you “use Debian/PC Linux OS/FreeBSD on a daily basis on your desktop.”
If it’s that much of a joke, why use it? Are you that stupid?
http://insidehighered.com/news/2006/09/01/commission
There getting more desperate as the days go by.. 🙂
I guess the real blame is not on OS’s but rather on the lousy Web designers who won’t make standard-compliant content.
A misnomer, hate to let reality intrude but it’s going to take a lot longer than one year to migrate all those windows desktops to linux.
I agree Sphinx, and I am the author of that article.
I think the whole point of the article was largely misunderstood. It seems some people didn’t even read pass the first paragraph and they didn’t even get that one right.
I didn’t say that 2006 is the year of the GNU/Linux on the desktop. I made an IF statement saying that *IF* the definition of the “year of GNU/Linux on the desktop” is a “year when GNU/Linux has finally started its steady encroachment to the desktop” then 2006 is the year.
Notice I didn’t define this year as the year when all of desktops would suddently be running GNU/Linux, or anything dramatic like that. I merely defined it as the year when a *steady increase*, even if slow, will begin. It actually began earlier, but I think it is 2006 which made it quite obvious to many who keep track of its progress, mostly due to the Vista postponing and the release of Ubuntu Dapper and Novell SuSE 10 accompanied by their “Your Linux is ready” campaign.
But of course, there will always be people who twist words for whatever purpose. There will always be naysayers and there will always be trolls. Most of them can simply be ignored.
Things change, wether you acknowledge that or not. I think GNU/Linux is on the rise in the long term and that rise is definitely happening to the detriment of Microsoft, hence I keep to my title; Microsoft is losing to GNU/Linux, and they’re even part of the fault for that.
Thank you
Danijel
For me every year is the year of desktop linux, lost me over a decade ago. We should pick a day and petition to have it declared a bank holiday, maybe exchange presents or give away candy. Ubuntu and suse are definitely a good couple shots across the bow but I’m holding out for enlightenment to set it off.
The number one rule of software creation… make it simple. Windows is simple and XP Pro is stable, Linux cannot be as appealing to the average PC user as Windows due to how different and complex it remains to be, therefore it won’t make it as a desktop replacement.
Windows user to Linux user… how do I send e-mail on Linux? Linux user reply… RTFM! You lack dicipline!
Edited 2006-09-01 16:17
Evolution? Thunderbird? KMail?
Windows is just as complicated as Linux (may even be more so), it just hides all that complexity. This can be a Big Win…until you want to DO something complicated, like fix it.
[Quote]
The number one rule of software creation… make it simple. Windows is simple and XP Pro is stable, Linux cannot be as appealing to the average PC user as Windows due to how different and complex it remains to be, therefore it won’t make it as a desktop replacement.
[/Quote]
Difficult? Complex? You put in a Ubuntu CD, reboot the PC, click on (you do understand what ‘Click’ means right?) install, answer a few questions and in under 40 minutes you have a fully installed and configured (X, networking (not WiFi, but eathernet), sound, etc. desktop. That’s Difficult? Wow, I never knew.
[Quote]Windows user to Linux user… how do I send e-mail on Linux? Linux user reply… RTFM! You lack dicipline! [/Quote]
Hey, the 90’s called, they want thier linux fud back.
Check out the Ubuntu forums, or even any forum and you will rarely see a response like that. Most of the forums I’ve read have been over the top helpful, very few times have I EVER seen “STFU NOOB AND RTFM!!”
+1 for effort, -10 for lameness
Hey man, did you see my avatar on Nuxified.org? (It is right besides this article). It is a sign that crosses “RTFM”!
On Nuxified.org forums we have a policy against such unfriendly responses and there are many people in other forums as well which are quite friendly and helpful. This “Linux people are rude bla bla” argument doesn’t work anymore. The community is huge and consisted of countless friendly helpful people, certainly friendlier than your average payed tech support drone from India calling you a criminal cause she can’t figure out why the Windows activation code doesn’t work.
Linux has already accomplished it’s main goal: To be a free OS open to everyone, offer a usable alternative, and to give people another choice.
Anything else doesn’t really matter.
Linux has already accomplished it’s main goal: To be a free OS open to everyone, offer a usable alternative, and to give people another choice.
Best comment out of the lot, by far.
The quality of released Novel’s Linux is worse then Vista Beta. This is the reson why it wont win.
Novell http://www.novell.com/ produce one distribution of Linux, which is SUSE.
SUSE even though its a large percentage of overall installs of Linux its still not as popular as Ubuntu, Linux installs latest darling.
I suspect for novell to *WIN* they have only to make SUSE profitable, and currently the linux portion of their business is.
Amongst those who know the marketshare is quite different.Other than that what works is best of breed.
It’s achieved the goal of being a ‘usable’ alternative, but it’s definitely not at a tipping point like Firefox or OpenOffice. Until someone comes up to me and asks about Linux rather than the other way around, then as far as I’m concerned, the day has yet to arrive. I don’t think Vista’s impending arrival is going to change that, regardless of how great Linux is.
Unless maybe “impending arrival” changes to “impending fourth (fifth?) six month delay”. Not likely, though, imo.
When will it be Mom’s Year on the Computer Desktop? Because it hasn’t arrived, yet, as far as I’ve noticed, via any of the operatings systems. Does Mom or Grandma or the other 90% of the population who aren’t tech savvy can use XP or Vista completely unattended? Can she use OS X? Or does she need help and someone to install and configure stuff for her? Because if she does then a Linux desktop is just par with any other I’ve seen so far. Once the knowledgeable Son of Mom has been around and set up her Linux box she’ll be just as happy with Linux as she would’ve been with Windows. Happier, probably, since Son won’t have to come back every other month to weed out spyware and trojans and perhaps reinstall everything. Once you install a Linux box for Mom it only goes down through natural disasters (fire, hurricane). I’m speaking from experience. It’s been 6 months since I’ve had my dad come for help about his computer, and then it was something silly, like him pausing his printer and wondering why it won’t print. Ubuntu is just that good.
The more they are gripping their hands the more will slip from them!
Hey! That is very close to what Princess Leia said to Governor Tarkin of the Death Star, The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers.
What a subtle way to compare Microsoft to the evil empire.
it may be the year of the linux desktop and it may not… who cares, a lot of people are using it alreay and some even enjoy it.
sure linx is still an “alternative” OS, it’s still something for people who like it the hard way… but the fact that linux is more difficult has nothing to do with the fact that linux is a more difficult OS tu use… it’s just that it’s hard to use something that’s not what the other 90% is using.
but the fact that linux has not a bigger market share on the desktop is certainly not due to the fact that windows is easier or more stable, in fact:
– windows has a very illogic, cluttered, utmost-ugly and lousy interface. Want examples? let’s take the start menu, it’s supposed to make it easy to use the computer, using the computer means to start apps and configure things… well after having installed 10 applications (but usually you need more) the start menu looks like a big mess… every program installes what and how much it feels like, and you either spend time on getting some order back or you will have to seach this mess evey time you need an app. that makes the os very easy and fun to use, doesn’t it? oh yes the XP menu partially solved this issue… but only partially… I see it more like a cosmetic change than a real solution. the gnome menu is much easier to use and there are projects like Slab or USP that make it even more powerful and easy to use… btw how much possibilities you have on windows to improve the start menu?
Windows has some great font aliasing, sure it has, but 90% of the users will never know where it is (since it’s buried somewhere in some config panel), and since it’s often switched off by default… I could probably carry on for days… but I think we all know this by hard…. don’t we?
– windows xp is usually quite stable… unfortunately… back in windowsME times I was getting lot more work than now… but fortunately it still crashes enough to make a living on it.
edit: just took out something I forgot in there
Edited 2006-09-01 19:01
These are my thoughts.
http://rjdohnert.wordpress.com/2006/09/01/how-microsoft-is-loosing-…
“due to the bad reputation behind the pending Windows Vista release.”
What bad reputation? Only geeks have heard of this, go up to someone you don’t know in Tesco’s or at your local butchers and ask them if they are p!ß߀Рby Vista being delayed or having it’s features removed. They won’t of even heard of it, and they won’t even see it until they buy a new computer… by then MS will have another OS out.
Every now and then I see an article about a business or school switching to Linux… and geeks everywhere proclaim it to be the start of the ‘Linux on the desktop’. Funny, at school we switched from BBC Micro’s to Acorn Archimedes’, still I don’t ever remember the ‘year of Risc OS on the desktop’.
Stop saying it’s happened until it’s happened.
this is total BS. Most users couldn’t care less when Vista is going to come out. Also I don’t know of anyone who has switched over to linux. And I am a long time linux user. The word linux scares most windows users and they seem to believe that it’s overly complicated system. The same goes for MacOS only there you also have to cool factor ( as in all the cool and creative people use Apple ). Apple has been investing heavilly in their reputation for years now and Linux is just starting. So if Apple has barelly had any success what makes you so certain that 2006 is the year of Linux?
If anything 2007 might be the year of Linux. Vista is hardly the huge improvement that many people have been led to believe and with KDE4 comming out greatly improved and redesigned linux just might have a chance. The only problem would be to get people to try the OS. It’s just like with MacOS. It seems terribly comlicated and unusable untill you are forced to use it. And then you suddenly find out that there are better things than Windows…
I really wish linux ( well maybe Novell ) all the best and for all out sakes hope that they manage to steal at least 5% of the Windows user base.
>> The word linux scares most windows users and they seem to believe that it’s overly complicated system. The same goes for MacOS only there you also have to cool factor ( as in all the cool and creative people use Apple ).
Then who are all the cool and creative people that develop the very cool Gnome desktop? Maybe some of them work on Macs for even more coolness, I do hope they’ve got some Linux test boxes too.
>> Apple has been investing heavilly in their reputation for years now and Linux is just starting. So if Apple has barelly had any success what makes you so certain that 2006 is the year of Linux?
Could you just pop an OSX cd in some x86 PC and boot live? To most people, the only way to get OSX running is still to buy a rather expensive machine. You’ll be paying 1100 euros where I live for a Macbook that won’t even let you burn any DVDs.
If “barely any success” Apple, btw, makes a $1,7 billion net income, at a 10% profit margin, what would, to you, a successful company look like? (No that’s not just iPods.)
Microsoft will show what they can do in response to the Free Softeware movement. I have a feeling it won’t suck. An army of geeks overselling the Linux Desktop won’t sway anyone.
There’s only two things they can do.
1. Innovate.
2. Rely on software patents to strike OSS down.
What do you think?
“1. Innovate. ”
There going to trow a lot of money at the problem , will GNU/Linux will have anyone who wish contribute to it …
“2. Rely on software patents to strike OSS down. ”
http://www.openinventionnetwork.com/
OSS and FS have more patent …
pre-load their PCs with Linux and not just a few select lines. And peripherals (cameras, scanners, etc…) are supported decently. Right then it will be finally the “Linux desktop year.” Right now it’s just an niche market overrun with fanatics.
… by all of these incessant “Can [Fill-in-Alternative-OS-Name-Here] take over the Desktop” threads? I understand that people are interested in promoting alternatives but, seriously, despite the OSS community’s and Apple’s best efforts, desktop market share hasn’t changed significantly in recent years. There are many reasons for this…
1. First Mover Advantage – Microsoft has a huge entrenched base and is difficult to dislodge.
2. User Apathy – People don’t buy operating systems. They buy packaged computers with OSes already installed. Unless and until Dell, IBM, and all of the major vendors promote and sell Linux desktop machines, consumers just won’t care. And manufacturers have no incentive to make them care, as long as they’re already selling a product that people buy.
3. Driver Support – Following on the heels of user apathy is lack of driver support. Yes, Linux and OSX support a wide variety of hardware, but not nearly as much hardware as Windows. Hardware OEMs/IHVs just don’t make enough money on Linux and Apple currently to justify spending as many resources on Linux as they do on Windows. Can you blame them? If you were in their business, would you rather target 500 million Windows desktops — or perhaps 15 million Macs or perhaps 8 million Linux boxes?
4. Software Availability – Sure, there’s a bunch of free software available for ‘nix, but the availability for Windows dwarfs these platforms. Games? Not many. Financial software? Not much. Not to mention the mountain of data that people have already accumulated on their Windows PCs. Who’s going to pay to convert all of that data? Can it even BE converted? Some of the apps aren’t even being sold anymore. This is a serious platform lock. People aren’t inclined to upgrade all of their software and data investments simply because they can.
5. Training – It costs money for companies to retrain their employees and, despite the protestations that “it looks like Windows” and “even an idiot could run this”, the TCO for running alternate platforms matches or exceeds Windows, based on my experience, so this begs the question: Why bother?
6. Cost – The initial purchase price of a desktop OS simply isn’t a significant factor in its success or failure. Particularly since the cost of an OS is often incorporated into the cost of a new PC — so, to many users, it appears to be “free”, anyway.
I’ve seen studies about Linux marketshare that say it is everything from 0.4 percent to 3 percent. Once we can get reliable data about this, then we can know when the year of the Linux desktop is.
I switched to Novell SLED 10, and it’s a mighty fine system. This is the first non dual/boot machine I have and it’s fantastic.
Well worth the $50 a year for security patches and updates.
when I can walk into ANY computer store from the major chains to your local screwdriver shop and find it matters not whether the machine is preloaded with either Linux or Windows. When you can run Windows software on Linux and people can’t tell the difference, this headline will be true. When even my mother can install a program or aeven add a new font without a hitch, then this headline will be true. When one can install ANY piece of hardware without worry of driver problems, this headline will be true. When people start writing headlines about another lightly adopted OS like “This is the year Haiku for the desktop takes off” or Dvorak devotes page copy onto the wonders of Linux as he does Windows, will this headline be true. Last but not least, when see articles upon articles on places like OSNews about the “evils” of the “Winux duopoly” or the “Lintel” monopoly, will this headline be true!
May all you good folks have a great labor day weekend!
http://www.mslinux.org/
>> .Net is a complete piece of sh!t as compared to VS6
Obviously you have not done a lot of programming in .NET. If you did you would instantly see how programming in this platform is makes way more sense, is more robust and way more structurally correct. I am glad VB6 is finally dead, you had to do too much book keeping on your own which lead to buggy programs. I have seen .NET programs doing the same job with managed code as an old program in VB6 and the .NET routines are faster. You should learn how to program with .NET and stop complaining that you have to change your old VB6 ways.
dano
Same procedure as every year. Lots of hype, reality is something very different. Linux,BSD or any other open system is on the way, but they are far away from dominance! It’s a pity, the way it is, so we have to wait and see. Someday ….
ook up the GNU/Linux PPC community
I’m running ubuntu on my ibook… dual booting.. so I know that. I was just wondering how many are dual booting mac and windows in comparison to how many do dual boot windows and linux.
“2%-3% is always based on sales and usually the United States only numbers.”
That’s very likely, and since most people will not have bought any linux distro, but just downloaded the iso or got some free cds from friends these numbers are clearly not saying anything. already in 2001 India was pushing to adopt linux in schools and pubblic institutions, and after the spy affair (where the usa through microsoft was accused to spy on china using the security holes in windows) also china begun to heavily push linux.
on the other hand also a lot of people running windows did not buy it… a lot of manufacturers are selling computers with windows preinstalled but without any licence.
browser statistics don’t say a lot neither. first a lot of browsers fake themselves as iexplore/windows for compatibility reasons, second all those windows users may have linux installed as dual boot, third what visitors from which states visit which sites?
I think all this statistics stuff is pretty useless in the end, what are we going to prove? Linux is beign used by the minority… if I look at people I know… well I just know one person who’s using linux and he’s a developer… the others have windows… and some have a mac. but more and more people ask me about linux… more and more ask me to install it for them. they are still a bit afraid, but that’s getting better…
there will never be a year of the linux desktop, since this is a slow and steady process…
in 2001 Paul Thurott was stating (quoting a Web Side Story Query) that the linux desktop expansion was getting to an end… stopping at 0,24% since then a lot more people are using it. maybe not as their primary os… but they keep an eye on it… and the community grows.
Edited 2006-09-02 11:19
As I said, biased guesstimating on both sides. The one thing that is a fact is that SOME people are using linux. The fact is that more and more people are trying linux. The fact is that linux is spreading thru word of mouth mostly so it will take time and even 1% usage via word of ‘mouth’ is a amazing number. The fact is that some people that use to use windows, now use linux. I personally have not heard of anyone that use to use linux and now uses windows – and even if they did it still does not affect the goal of linux since the goal is not world domination or even to make a profit so if linux loses a user it truly means nothing yet loosing a windows user means less profits and less control of the industry. See, linux cant lose because the only ‘win’ for linux is to exist and it already does and anything beyond that is nice but not required.
The amount of new users getting a computer and being windows users still does not lessen the amount of linux users. The number of linux users are growing. Yes, the number of windows users may be growing faster but can it keep up enough to maintain control of the industry? A lot of big names mentioning linux a awful lot – that cant be good for windows can it.
Edited 2006-09-02 15:47
Computers Purchased with OS:
Windows Linux
1 Laptop (2000) 1 Laptop (Fedora)
2 Laptops (XP Home)
2 Desktops (2000)
That’s 5 Windows machines when you count the OS it came with. Those five now run Debian via Kanotix. There is also another desktop assembled from parts. It came with no OS. Windows never touched it.
Which raises the question: How can anyone measure what Linux usage is? In my house, it’s 5:1 in favor of Windows, when you factor in sales. The reality is completely different, however.
We have a machine with Linux installed on the way. It represents something of a departure for this house. We actually paid to have Linux installed. Who knows, it could start a trend.
i also use ubuntu for desktop fo 4 months.
i will continue to use also.
i think software prices should be cheap, as most may be free.
but everything cannot be free, since they need money.
see you.