2008 - Year of Linux Desktop?

rstrohmeyer writes "Over at Maximum PC, we're betting that Linux will pick up unprecedented momentum in the coming year. With phenomenal new distros, swelling international support, and a little extra momentum from Dell, we think Linux is poised to exploit the current atmosphere of doubt surrounding Vista and pick up serious traction in '08. 'For end users here in North America, Linux poses a low barrier to entry. While many still balk at an upgrade to Vista (typically centered around cost and restrictive licensing terms), those who are curious about the open-source alternative will find few of these obstacles. And an increasingly rich array of ready-to-run software (not to mention surprisingly effective utilities that let you run many Windows apps) makes it easy switch ... Ultimately, I'm not predicting that Linux will take over the market next year. Or anytime soon, for that matter. But if there's ever been a time to try out the world's leading free OS, 2008 will be that time. I am predicting that users will switch to Linux in record numbers next year. And many will never look back.'"

Comments

2027 - year of fusion power?

[Anonymous Coward]

It'll happen this time! Honest!

Re:2027 - year of fusion power?

[Harmonious Botch]

Linux is the OS of the future, and always will be.

Nope.

[khasim]

It's all about the applications. There are too many apps that too many people use that are available on their Windows machines.

There will not be a "year of the Linux desktop".

There will only be the year when people realize that most everyone else is running Linux, too.

Re:Nope.

[Coryoth]

There will not be a "year of the Linux desktop". There will only be the year when people realize that most everyone else is running Linux, too. Exactly! Both the people expecting a "year of the the Linux desktop" and the people who mock that saying Linux won't and can't succeed on the desktop are deluding themselves. Consider that Linux is now quite successful in the server space; was there ever a "year of Linux on the server"? No, it simply became more prevalent and slowly but surely snowballed. As more people used it on the server it gained support for a wider variety of servers, and slowly but surely invaded the server space. Linux will be just the same on the desktop. There is no point when Linux is "desktop ready", since there will always be something that is lacking for some users. Instead Linux will slowly but surely become more viable as a desktop for a larger and larger userbase. As the userbase expands the application availability and user-friendliness will in turn steadily improve. There is no magic tipping point.

If you want to see that Linux will eventually gain significant desktop market share then just compare Redhat 5.2 to Windows98, and Ubuntu 7.04 to Windows Vista; the desktop gap has been slowly but steadily closing for years. More and more people are finding Linux a viable alternative desktop. It is still not viable for everyone, but little by little it will get there.

Re:Nope.

[tooyoung]

Look, this isn't meant as a troll. Linux is great. Much better than Vista. Offer me the choice between the two, and I'd take Linux hands down. However... nobody knows what Linux is.

Honestly.

Go ask 10 non-technical people if they would consider using Linux as an OS, and 9 will look at you like you just spoke Greek to them. No, it doesn't count if you ask your wife, who you constantly bore with tech-talk about how much better Linux is than Windows. No, it doesn't count if you go ask your parents, whom you've been trying to convince to make the switch for the past 5 years. Go ask people that don't work in the tech industry, and who you haven't badgered constantly about Linux.

As I mentioned above, 9 won't know what you're talking about. The 10th person will think that Linux is pure command prompt, with no UI. Why? Not because they are dumb, but because they have just never heard of it. Just like they haven't heard of Solaris, and just like they haven't heard of z/OS. They don't talk about Linux on CNN, they don't write about Linux in Cosmo or Maxim. Hell, how often do you see it mentioned in 'science' magazines, like Discover or Popular Science? It doesn't matter if Ubuntu has a nice GUI and can load DVDs like any other OS. Most people just don't know that, and they probably don't care much. The idea of spending an hour replacing XP or Vista with Ubuntu would strike most people are boring and daunting. What reason do they have? Their computer works for the most part. Most wouldn't even know where to start. Not because they are dumb, but because:
1. They wouldn't know where to get Ubuntu.
2. They assume it would be as much of a chore to install as Windows. Oh, you don't think that is a chore? Well, that is probably because you're reading a technical website.

Yeah, I'd love to see Linux blow up this year. It is doing great in server land, but it has a ways to go before it gets on the desktop of the general public.

Every year...

[Fyre2012]

... it's said 'is XXXX the year for the Linux Desktop'?

What would make it so? At what point would it be possible to quantify that 'yes, this IS the year!'... when there is 100,000 users? 500,000 users? 10,000,000 users?

slashdot, of ALL places should understand that Linux is making better ground each year in a number of markets, including the desktop. To say that 'this is the year' we might as well say 'this is the century'. It's impossible to quantify.

Re:Every year...

[PeterBrett]

(My experiences dictate that if GNOME or KDE fails, an inexperienced user is left helpless at the command line - Windows does no such thing. This needs to change and support needs to become even *more* accessible before acceptance is widespread.)

You're quite right. Windows does no such thing. My experiences indicate that if the Windows GUI fails, an inexperienced user is left helpless without a (usable) command line.

why not

[gEvil (beta)]

I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be...

Re:what is linux

[hondo77]

what is linux

Something that doesn't sync to your iPhone.

Re:Ooops ...

[LiquidCoooled]

So finally we have the answer.

3d Realms are waiting for the adoption of Linux before releasing Duke Nukem Forever!

Re:if only linux had more games.

[larry bagina]

The fact that OS X has unix underpinnings is irrelevant to the game -- unless that game happens to be "hunt the wumpus".

Does this story count as a dupe?

[nobodyman]

Year of the desktop? Let's see:

• 1994: No
• 1995: No
• 1996: No
• 1997: No
• 1998: No
• 1999: No
• 2000: No
• 2001: No
• 2002: No
• 2003: No
• 2004: No
• 2005: No
• 2006: No
• 2007: No (pending)

So, though I may be going out on a limb here, I'm gonna say "no" for 2008. And those that think that Vista's awefulness has any sway must have not been around to see how the whole "Windows vs. MacOS" thing played out.

Re:No, I'm New Here

[eln]

It's a crime that you start at -1. You have to respect a guy who has posted nothing but the same exact joke for 4 years straight. Truly, you are an inspiration to us all. You are a one-man Slashdot meme.

Re:Find a specialized desktop market

[javilon]

Linux already has this, it is the programmers and system administrators desktop of choice.

Re:A tiny market...

[Anonymous Coward]

Loki is gone, but they went bankrupt because their CEO and his wife thought of the company's account as their personal ATM. Loki had no problem turning a profit on porting Windows games -- it was their looting of the finances that drove the company under.
  PS. It's been a few years since Loki, and there're more Linux users now. You might wanna update your stupid flamebait.

It's taken four years

[reaktor]

It just took four years to finally become funny.

Re:No, I'm New Here

[slashdotmeme]

No, I am.