Can Linux Pick Up Users Abandoning Win98?

Mark writes, "When Microsoft announced the end of support for Windows 98 and Millennium Edition on June 30th, there was a lot of talk of these users migrating over to Linux desktops. In the weeks since this announcement, there is a very noticeable increase of activity on community boards and blogs from newbies asking questions about switching over to Linux, and how would they support their new systems." According to OneStat.com, Windows 98 and Windows ME account for about 4% of the total PCs in the world.

Comments

Yes but why would you want that kind of user?

[goombah99]

Maybe they would migrate to Linux but why would you want then, They are computer-backward folks who have not updated their equipment. They will be a support nightmare.

Additionally why do you want to encourage them to use legacy hardware? It uses up more electricity to get the job done than modern hardware. Makes the user less productive. Why encourage that.

Nope

[loconet]

Linux will not be a realistic desktop alternative for the great majority of users until problems like this are brought down to a minimum, and if they happen, a user has a reliable way to solve them.

Upgrade train is compatible with incompetence.

[twitter]

Wait twitter - when Microsoft goes five years without releasing an OS you do your nyuck, nyuck M$ Winblows is finished routine, but then you turn around and actually complain about the upgrade train? That's rich.

Yes, M$ can be both intentionally wasteful and incompetent. I know it's been a six year long time since they dumped XP on the world, but that's not for lack of trying. I read once that Vista would screw out something like 33% of the existing software base. It does this for what amounts to be a facelift to XP and 64bit port.

The free software world does better. In the same time period Debian has released three stable versions, Woody, Sarge and Etch, each with real improvements. Those improvements did not come at the price of hardware, data or software. My computers migrated flawlessly without loss of information. Instead of having to throw printers and other gadgets away, I was able to buy and use more hardware.

Microsoft is finished because they depend on the intentional waste of the upgrade train for revenue but their development model does not give them the ability to create the functionality that drives it. Use of XP has just gotten out of the 70% range, if you believe web OS stats that have the combined Mac and other at less than 10%. Now they are starting up the Vista train? It's going to be a wreck. Sales of Vista are going to be even lower than sales of XP were, which was bad news at the time. They won't be able to make up for it this time with Office sales.