Microsoft Sees Linux As Bigger Competitor Than Apple

Facetious writes "It seems Microsoft doesn't believe the data from Net Applications regarding Linux any more than Slashdot readers do. In a recent presentation, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer showed a slide showing, from Microsoft's internal analysis, that Linux client use is clearly ahead of Apple's."

Comments

Makes sense...

[i.r.id10t]

Makes sense... a PC user can switch to Linux by downloading a LiveCD (or whatever) and installing or just running from the disk. A PC user has to buy new hardware to switch to Apple.

Of course!

[Techmeology]

Of course they're worried! If Linux (and the rest of the open source projects) become even slightly common, Microsoft have lost. They can't buy Linux, they can't do deals with it. They don't seem to be able to out perform it either. Short of zapping every magnetic and (some how) optical media on the planet, Microsoft cannot kill an open source project of a large magnitude; there'll always be community members willing to take over where one was "bought" by Microsoft.

Duh

[thetoadwarrior]

OSX can only realistically come from one over priced manufactuer where as Linux is free and can be installed on any machine.

The economy is in the dumps. Would you be worried about the over priced guy with no net book or the guy that's infiltrating the netbook space quite well when that's a fast growing sector?

Piracy a competitor?

[Anonymous Coward]

The day the manage to lock out piracy, a lot of that group will switch to Linux, not pay full prize full Windows licenses.

I can understand why they see Linux as a bigger threat. Linux is something completely different than Windows, MacOS is "just" another proprietary closed source company controlled desktop OS. These days, more and more people see the advantages of free sofware, and Microsoft will never be able to catch up with Linux on that one.

Re:Piracy a competitor?

[InvisibleClergy]

Thing is, a lot of more computer literate people understand the following workflow:

1. Have a task which needs done
2. Get a tool to do the task (Or choose one which you already have)
3. Use the tool to do the task.

Most people, however, are not computer-literate. They don't understand "Word Processor" but they do understand "Word" in reference to MS Word.

They do the following:

1. Have a task to do
2. Use the tool they know to do the task

The very idea that there are more word processors than MS Word still blows the mind of people like, say, my grandmother.

Installed base vs. market share

[javacowboy]

An operating system's installed base is not the same as the market share.

Market share is measurable because it's based on percentage of sales over a given period of time.

Installed base is difficult or impossible to measure, because it's the percentage share an operating system has over the entire population of computers. This means the market share of Macs and Linux machines is underestimated. Macs, because they last on average 2 years longer than Windows PC's. Linux, well, because hardly anybody pays for Linux since they can legally get it for free.

So, essentially, market share figures are highly inaccurate for estimated the installed base of any given operating system.

Re:Apple OS != Linux?

[makomk]

A lot of the more traditional real UNIXes were crap too, from what I've read. Being certified as Unix probably isn't all that useful.

Re:Its beyond just the numbers

[SpinningCone]

actually i think your missing the real point. its not really about who you can threaten.

Apple has a business model which literally cannot take a market majority. the day Apple hits 30% it can no longer be apple anymore. however Linux can go all out.

but even that is an aside in these times of recession people have a vested interest in their hardware. XP is getting long in tooth and vista was a flop if 7 doesn't pony up there will be a huge body of unsatisfied people who cannot afford to go buy a mac but *can* afford to download a Linux distro.

once Linux gets enough of a market foothold support for the platform snowballs. more drivers come out more people get linux etc etc.

Linux IS a real threat.

[miffo.swe]

I revently took a course in Microsoft AD after having been a linux guy since RH 5. I couldnt in my wildest dreams think that Microsofts server products are such pile of manure that they are. The more i learn about Windows the more surprised i get that people stand for all the shortcomings, the bad usability, the lack of customer centric solutions and the costs.

In my mind there are just some small things that needs to be pieced in for Linux to be a really dangerous threat to Windows. Most of the things already exists for a Linux solution to completely replace a Microsoft centric network.

I have run Linux Terminal Servers, Linux Fileservers, Linux webservers, Novell, Windows various solutions and Novell Linux solutions. The only thing really needed is an easier and faster way of setting a Linux solution up. Novell and Windows is very hard and tedious to manage once setup but its really easy to get a minimal system up and running. Linux on the other hand is very hard to setup but very easy to manage on a daily basis.

If someone packages a solution where you can get a file, print, ldap and policy handling up and running without much fuss i think Linux would explode. Windows integration is from my view overrated, its much more important of making it easier to get up to speed with a pure linux network. Right now to much work is put into following Microsofts whims around with AD and whatnot instead of building a better solution on linux. A copy can only be so good as its original.