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Linux To Take Over The Low-End PC Market?
An anonymous reader writes "Desktop Linux has a recent commentary on the inevitable growth of Linux on the cheaper end of the desktop market. According to the article, the availability of under-$500 usable hardware, combined with a free operating system, free desktop office products, and free or cheap 'software as a service' online applications, opens a new market in which Microsoft cannot compete. 'Microsoft will fight this trend tooth and nail. It will cut prices to the point where it'll be bleeding ink on some of its product lines. And Windows XP is going to stick around much longer than Microsoft ever wanted it to. Still, it won't be enough.'"
*BSD is way better.
Wow. Sorry but your comment = fail.
"Yeah, but they probably aren't the low end, now, are they?"
I can buy a $400 laptop that comes with windows. I can buy a $250 desktop...windows. Unless you're talking OLPC how much lower are we going?
"I think a lot of people are fed up with virus software updates and other fine Windows features"
Ok, who likes getting a virus? Guess what though, the people who create them target the widest audience. If linux or Mac had a 90% market share would you like to take odds that there would be virus and trojans for them? As for software updates, they exist on linux and mac too.
"The high end of the market is moving to Mac"
Show me some vaugely accurate statistics on this? If you mean 'the over-priced and under-featured' market then sure. I can buy a very pretty Mac for twice what a comperable PC (that actually runs my software) would cost.
"and the low end -- at least the more knowledgeable among them -- are moving to Linux"
Again - justify this. The one-off OLPC and wally world PC don't count as they're statistically insignificant compared to the number of PCs sold in the budget segment. Just because i buy a $200 linux PC doesn't mean it's staying linus either. I like the jab about implying that low end users not running linux aren't knowledgable but...unfortunately they actually know better than most. See, they understand that the marketplace and most jobs that require computer skills want windows and MS orifice skills. If you're talking recreations...well that $9.99 "1000 games" CD at target isn't going to be for Linux.
And finally. Your free internet access. I'm glad you have such a great library system. I'm glad there's free internet for anyone to use. That's a great tool for young and/or poor. The fact that it's on Linux is anecdotal. Unless you're the admin that runs the computer system there I don't think you're an appropriate person to say that no one complains about it not being windows. Not having windows available does mean there's one less learning opportunity that is important for the workforce.
You can get rich if you own a politician, but you have to be rich to buy one in the first place.