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IDC Proclaims Linux Is Now Mainstream

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the well-of-course-it-is dept.

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."

6 of 283 comments (clear)

  1. Strict by paranode · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Linux won't be mainstream until I can set up a Linux box for my grandmother and leave it knowing she'll be fine with it for an indefinite period of time.

    If that's your definition of mainstream then I don't think even Windows is ready.

  2. Sellouts. by Brandon+One · · Score: 5, Funny

    I used to see Linux play in basements and living rooms. Now they have gone mainstream. They signed that $35 billion record deal. Damn sellouts.

  3. Re:2008? by savagedome · · Score: 5, Funny

    I predict I will be having sex CONSTANTLY

    Yeah. In 2008, zero will still remain a constant.

    --


    Free XBox, PS2
  4. Re:Won't be by wraith0x29a · · Score: 5, Interesting

    My mother (of grandmother age but I'm not budging on the 'no kids' thing) uses Linux (Gentoo with KDE Desktop) with no problems.

    OK, so I set it all up for her (the way a vendor would pre-install Windoze) but once set up it runs smoothly and stays configured the way it was when set up. I simplified everything for her as she is not a power-user, removed lots of menu options and extraneous buttons and it's now so much easier for her to find her way around and actually do stuff than it was with Windows.

    And that's on a hacked-together PII-300 running Gentoo, if she'd bought a pre-installed state-of-the-art Linux box it would be even smoother.

    She has gone from calling me twice a day for tech support to once a fortnight since the switch from Windoze to Linux. I can fix any problem that does occur remotely. So now instead of talking exclusively about Blue Screens of Death, anti-virus software and automated updates we talk about me not providing any grandchildren.

    --
    ~ Better a freak than a sheep. ~
  5. Chapelle Show by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    It was mainstream when it made it on the Chapelle Show:

    "If they give you a Windows disk, tell them we only run Mac. If they give you a Mac disk, tell them we only run windows. IF they give you both, tell them we use linux. And if they give you all three, tell them the computers are down."

  6. Re:Oh well... by grassy_knoll · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now that Linux is mainstream I'll have to turn my back on it and find another cause to fight for. Has Netcraft confirmed the BSD rumours?

    Well, if it's unpopular causes you're after, I understand the Democratic Party is always looking for volunteers.

    [badum-ching]

    --
    A Human Right