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IDC Proclaims Linux Is Now Mainstream
robyannetta writes "Eweek has an
interesting article
quoting IDC analyst Al Gillen saying "Linux is no longer a fringe player. Linux is now mainstream." He made that observation because IDC's research predicts that Linux's overall revenue for desktops, servers and packaged software running on Linux will exceed $35 billion by 2008."
Excuse me, wtf? Shouldnt it be based on usage? It's FREE.
-- 'The' Lord and Master Bitman On High, Master Of All
Thank you captain obvious. I'm sure nobody would have figured that out on their own. Sometimes I really wonder why people keep paying analysts at all. All they appear to do is churn out totally baseless and unrealistic estimates and statistics or state the obvious.
If a train station is a place where a train stops, what's a workstation?
Grandma can't figure out how to print?
Installing printers in Linux is pretty simple. Configuring our main workgroup printer was as simple as giving the machine name on the network and saying it's an HP whatever.
Trolling is a art,
Except that grandma will have an equally or almost equally hard time figuring out a Windows box for an indefinite period of time, or even to a lesser degree a Mac box.
The grandma test largely fails since not all grandmas are equal (my grandma and grandpa taught me how to program FORTRAN when I was 8!) and since not all Linux boxes are equal (compare Lyrcoris to Debian).
If that's your definition of mainstream then I don't think even Windows is ready.
Leaving a Windows box with your grandmother is "fine" as long as she never turns it on or never connects to the internet... Linux may not be userfriendly, but considerably more "fine" than Windows.
The plug and play facet of windows has come a long way over the years. Far more useful than what /. will probably give it credit for.
Well, I recently converted my mother's badly ailing Windows box to Fedora, and she hasn't looked back. Sure, I tended to all the nuts-and-bolts details of the installation, and very occasionally I still field a tech support call, but for the most part it all finally Just Works. For her needs it's perfect: email, web browsing, and word processing. And no more random boots into safe mode, no more virus and spyware infections, no more random lockups.
Your grandmother may not be able to figure out how to configure printing in Linux, but once it's been set up, the same print button and File menu option to print exists in Linux apps as it does in Windows, and it works the same way. For a truly fair comparison, I challenge your grandmother to install and configure Windows on a bare metal machine.
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Wow, this is the first first post that I actually agree should have been moderated Redundant.
Everyone always talks about how Linux needs a unified, simple interface, which is really just code for saying it needs a Windows-like (or Mac-like, depending on the speaker) interface. While I agree that most things in Linux need interface work, I don't think all interfaces need to look exactly the same to be effective. In fact, trying to shoehorn an application into an interface that doesn't really fit it can cause actually reduce ease of use.
It's simple to code interfaces in Windows, because everyone just uses the same widgets to make their interfaces. The result is a homogenous, bland experience, where everything looks exactly the same. In this environment, nothing is super simple to use, but everything is at least equally difficult to figure out.
As for things like printing, Windows is easy to use if you are using one of a couple of popular scenarios, but once you break out of those, it can be nearly impossible to get things to work right. Some of this is because the interface for setting up non-traditional printer setups is obtuse, but most of it is because the help documentation on the topic is absolutely worthless. Microsoft Help is the most astounding collection of utterly worthless "troubleshooting tips" I have ever seen. I have never once had a problem that that thing came anywhere near helping me solve.
Interface work needs to be done. We do not need a single unified simple interface, we need several continually evolving interfaces, which will over time result in every application having the easiest and most intuitive interface for whatever it does.
From personal observations of customers and business people I can attest that, yes, Linux (and OSS in general) is widely known and most people take it seriously.
However, I guess many slashdotters (myself included) are already thinking about desktop. And that's still a long way to go. Even Firefox has still a long way ahead of itself, and I consider it to be one of the most well-known OSS applications out there. It will be a long time until non-geek people start using OSS seriously on the desktop.
Then again, I live in Germany, the clocks work differently here - maybe it's different elsewhere?
someone shoud tell these guys mainstream is not how much money you make...
did you forget to take your meds?
I believe you hit the nail on the head. I think Linux will become largely successful as more and more kids/younger computer users, grow up using it as their everyday system.
I grew up using Dos/Win3.1/95..etc, and now, NT in my business. I'm extremely comfortable coding/managing NT systems, because it is what I've used for the longest period of time (last few years of Linux).
I can only imagine the different perspective I would have had, using Linux in High school and College only, and then being responsible for the IT in a business.
Another factor is the amazing user progress that distributions have made in the past few years. I remember putzing around with Red Hat 6.22 and really digging around with the shell...Comparing that to a recent version of anything running KDE/Gnome, and its astonishing.
Sig it.
Does this mean we'll finally start seeing direct ports of the most popular gaming titles? Leisure Suit Larry for teh win.
Help me, help you. - Jerry McGuire
Linux won't be mainstream until... your gran gets linux pre-installed with her new PC; bought from any highstreet store.
I just finished an email with a co-worker from three jobs ago, when I was a consultant doing systems and network stuff for small-medium companies in Mass., RI and Conn. Back then I was all-linux, but I worked on IBMs AS/400s and NT/2k, and rarely got any Unix work on the job. I eventually left because my boss wasn't pushing linux hard enough for my liking.
Anyways, I just finished an email in which my co-worker proclaimed this year to be the year of linux. Coming from him, I am forced to take a step back from my daily linux work-life and look at it from his perspective.
To those who don't find MS to be an abomination of all that is good and holy, and simply use what technology is best for the times, this year is the equivalent 96(or 97) for NT. This was a year or so before I got into the business(high school and all), but from what I make of the timeline, NT was _IT_ back then. It was a server, it was somewhat stable(compared to Windows), it was user-friendly(compared to Unix/AS400), it was fully 32-bit. It ran on Alphas for christ's sake.
What high hopes it held.
Now, though, I am worried about what comes next. It took 8 years for what I knew to be the next big thing to become the next big thing. Am I now so deep into linux that I won't be able to see what's set to surpass it until it's here? I'm worried I will turn into those 'NT guys' from 96 or so who saw linux as a handicapped os and summarily dismissed it. Of course, it didn't even support 2-gigabyte files back then, so maybe they had a point.
Time will have to tell. I saw one computing mini-revolution coming years ahead of the mainstream; I hope to be able to see the next also.
Do you see the sig? Do you have it in your sights? Why yes, Miss Moneypenny...
Personally I'd rather a bland homogenous interface than something completely different for every single application. In case you hadn't noticed products that have attempted to make their UI "more interesting" have often come up with something worse.
In 1995 I suffered with UNIX applications that have different locations of load/save, different shortcut keys for cut, copy and paste, different results when you clicked on a button (does it open a window or pull a dropdown or toggle a tickbox) and so on. Learning shortcut keys was next to impossible unless you remembered that each on only worked with some applications and on others didn't something completely different.
The last thing I want to do is return to a world like that (which is what you are advocating). When I'm using an unfamiliar application, I like the fact that I know rougly what is in the "File" and "Edit" menus and I know that Ctrl-Z will undo my mistake - rather than actually do something completely different because some smartass deleveloper tried to be different.
Those people who proclaim you need a single unified user interface do so for a very good reason.
Avantslash - View Slashdot cleanly on your mobile phone.
This really bothers me. To me, "mainstream" means something that the majority of people not only can enjoy but also want to enjoy of their own volition - acceptance by and demand from the general populous. The dictionary defines "mainstream" as Representing the prevalent attitudes, values, and practices of a society or group.In that regard, how is "mainstream" possibly close to describing Linux?
He seems to be talking exclusively about "mainstream" in the IT world. I don't see how even in 2008 Linux will be "mainstream" in the home desktop world. Shouldn't the term "mainstream" be applied across the board before it's used in such a broad fashion?
The prevalent attitudes towards computers, especially on the desktop, is that anything other than Windows != effective or easy to use. Put a number of Linux computers on sale at Best Buy (or your country's equivalent) with all things being equal with respect to hardware and price and everything necessary to run Windows on the Linux system, and see how they fare compared to Windows system. The general populous will purchase Windows in droves while those of us in the know (and we ARE a minority, folks) might purchase the Linux system.
If some PC manufacturer will actually put out a system for sale on retail stores that sells comparable numbers to Windows PCs, then I'll be more accepting of the "mainstream" moniker. (Not that anybody's individual acceptance really means anything...)
I also question why he perceives the migration to Linux in the IT world to be "mainstream". Look at the two primary alternatives:
* Windows - bloated, slow, expensive TCO, closed, not well scaleable
* Sun - aewsome operating system, unbelievable scaling capabilities, unbearably arrogant and short-sighted CEO, f**king EXPENSIVE hardware
Now comes Linux - can use existing hardware, scales fairly well, free, tons of software for free, tech support is available at a reasonable price... Hmmmm!
I'd like to see a study done on how "mainstream" Linux really is and why. Was it accepted in IT because of its strengths or was it accepted in IT because of the excessive weaknesses of its competitors? They're not the same, but I think that the reasons are important. YMMV.
The Overrated mod is for reversing inappropriate, positive mods, not for voicing disagreement with a post.
They also never seem to take into account the time the entire company is down because the IT department is trying to disinfect the building of the latest skr1p7 k1dd13z virus.
09F911029D74E35BD84156C5635688C0
Jesus loves you, I think you suck
Exactly!
I wouldn't dream of turning over a Windows PC to my 75 year old parents. Hell, my dad calls me to help talk him through the TV/VCR and recently DVD useage issues.
However, I've been thinking of getting them a notebook PC and installing Xandros Linux so they can get email, surf "the interweb", and download digital pictures from the camera. Xandros is easier than any version of Windows I've used, and I've suffered since Windows 3.1. Printers? Xandros knows my Lexmark Z52 inkjet and my big mutha Lexmark Optra T614 network laser printer. The drivers are already there, and installation couldn't be easier. No Plug-N-Pray (TM), no installation CD needed, and no need to reboot for changes to take effect.
I've been running Xandros exclusively for over two years for my engineering business. It runs 24/7 and I use lots of complex applications including mechanical CAD, electrical CAD & PCB layout, accounting, programming, etc. I'd NEVER go back to being a Windows luser and I'd certainly never subject my parents to the insane hassles of Outlook worm de jour and the weekly security exploits in Windows and IE.
There are other easy to use distros as well, and there is the Mac, so there is plenty of choice. If you want a computer, there is no need to play monopoly.
It's counter intuitive, but power users have a harder time migrating from Windows because of that one obscure application they just have to have. The average PC user who wants hassle-free internet, email, and office applications is best served by Linux, Firefox/Mozilla, OpenOffice, etc.
>> My ultraviolent Linux switch video.
I find it intesting how everyone is so quick to dismiss Linux in the grandma test.
Here is my reality:
Grandma is 2500 miles away. What OS do I want to give her? Wells its definitely not Windows. She wants to get on the Internet and lets face it, my grandma is not very tech savvy and would probably load up that machine with so much spyware and viruses it would crumble.
My thoughts? Knoppix. Build a custom knoppix that includes browser, email, a few games, etc and presto she is set. Every boot is clean. It meets her computing needs without the worry of viruses/spyware/etc.. every few months, I could create a new Knoppix CD and send it to her.. boot off the new CD, and she has the latest software.
I could be a little bit creative, have her settings/documents stored on the hard drive and have Knoppix on boot run a script that would determine the last backup and prompt her to pop in a CD-RW to keep a backup of her data.
Since she is booting off the CD, I can boot my copy of the CD to know exactly what she is looking at on-screen if she has questions.
I dunno.. it seems like the right choice to me. Perhaps it could even go a step further where the hard drive is partitioned and when the Knoppix CD is booted up, it would prompt if she wants to update her computer (auto-install to hard drive) or boot from the CD. Keep the docs/settings on their own partition so it doesn't get removed.
I know grandma can pop in a CD and turn on the computer. Seems like this would pass the test.
No kernel updates or anything else has required a reboot
Hate to break this to you, but if you've updated your kernel and haven't rebooted, you're still running the old kernel. Use 'uname -a' to check for yourself. Might want to reboot that server, there have been some security updates for the kernel that you've installed but aren't actually running.
Hilarious sketch, but of course a real geek would have no problem reading a windows disk with mac or linux, a linux disk on mac, etc. Unless you just are feeling lazy. And a good geek could probably come up with a more BOFHish excuse anyhow.
OTOH, Windows have several killer apps, like Photoshop & other Adobe apps, Macromedias apps, Microsoft apps (and my own personal favourite, Directory Opus) etc. Sure, you can run some of them through Wine, but that's not something a lot of people will want to do.