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Why Desktop Linux Hasn't Taken Off

Posted by samzenpus on from the let-the-flaming-begin dept.

alphadogg writes "It's free, easier to use than ever, IT staffers know it and love it, and it has fewer viruses and Trojans than Windows. So, why hasn't Linux on the desktop taken off? When it comes to desktop Linux, the cost savings turn out to be problematic, there are management issues, and compatibility remains an issue. 'We get a lot more questions about switching to Macs than switching to Linux at this point, even though Macs are more expensive,' one Gartner analyst says."

2 of 1,264 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Way too confusing by Microlith · · Score: 1, Troll

    Ah yes, here you are again.

    And then there's the problem of distros breaking on upgrades

    I've had Windows break during upgrades. Windows is so terrible. *cough*

    the prevalent WORKS_FOR_ME && WONT_FIX responses towards bugs, the really lousy bug-reporting scheme (I tried it with KDE, my cpu went to 100% and never even loaded the desktop, requiring a reinstall from scratch).

    Ah, generalities and anecodes...

    Then there's the lack of social skills among the "self-anointed."

    Because the actions of a few give you license to bash an entire community.

    Pointing out the problems invariably gets you labeled as a shill, an astroturfer, or worse.

    Perhaps if done with less arrogance, aggressiveness, and spite it might go over better. Or you could just ignore them, instead of "waging war" and becoming their polar opposite.

  2. Re:Way too confusing by serviscope_minor · · Score: 1, Troll

    If you thing "average usres" are enough immersed in hacker minutae to know of the existence of arguments between different linux hackers, then you must know very different "average users" from me.

    Not only that but another big turn off is that documentation often tends to be non-existent, incomplete, confusing, or simply wrong then, to make matters

    Because the documentation for the other operating systems is so damn awesome. Oh wait. It isn't.

    when inexperienced users venture into the forums looking for guidance, the replies are usually along the lines of RTFM emphasized with varying degrees of condescension. Very rarely will you find a simple, clear set of instructions on how to perform a specific procedure.

    This sounds like just about every operating system forum ever. Condecending experts is not a Linux specific phenomenon.

    --
    SJW n. One who posts facts.