Bob Young says Linux won't rule the desktop

Wee writes "I just came across this interesting Yahoo interview with Bob Young in which he says that Linux won't rule the desktop but will instead focus on replacing legacy Unix systems and enhancing Linux's embedded presence. He makes some pretty good points. The oddest quote: "So our opportunity is not to replace Microsoft on the PC. If you've got a perfectly good working PC, why you would go through the angst of replacing it?". Not sure where to start answering that one. My wife (a dedicated Win32 user) liked his car analogy. I need to get her to read 'In the Beginning was the Command Line'..."

Comments

Desktop.

[saintlupus]

Linux won't rule the desktop

Gee, I don't know how anyone can say that. Between the consistent user interface, the ease of setting up printing, and the huge game library, Linux is a cinch to take over the desktop computers of the world.

*crickets*

--saint
(I'm just bitter -- still trying to set up CUPS.)

Re:Makes sense in a lazy thinking way...

[Rooktoven]

Actually it is ready now. You aren't dealing with ease of use, you are dealing with intellectual laziness. KDE and Gnome (like OS/2 before them, I might add,) are as easy for someone whom has never used a PC to learn as windows. The question is whether people will try something else after they have made their half-assed effort to learn windows already. Somehow people still buy macs (even former windows users,) those type of people may consider something else. So might those who decide they would rather not pay the Redmond tax.

The shame here is that Bob Young has lost some cojones and has decided to to go along with a self-fulfilling prophecy, i.e. Windows is omnipresent and inevitable and cannot be fought. As long as there are those who yell kicking and screaming about the beast, some people will get the message. And an eternal free pass for Microsoft is not fait accompli.

As for no need... I have no need of windows. everything I use my computer for can be done under Linux-- and I am NOT a coder. What exactly I am missing out on? Oh yeah, the helpful hand of Big Brother.

Re:Should Linux even try to dominate the destkop?

[Rooktoven]

The whole "until it achieves ease-of-use" is a damned lie. As Joseph Goebbels said, "A lie repeated often enough becomes the truth" Nice company...