PCMag.com announces the year(s) of the Linux desktop is finally here and I actually agree with them.
Have you used Vista? It is like a foreign alien or something and the stupid pop-up, “Windows needs your permission”. What is pretty funny, is yes, the Mac commercial with the security guy is an accurate depiction. Yes, Windows, I would like to install flipping Adobe Reader please leave me alone, that’s why I double-clicked on the damn file! Granted, using Linux to do system wide changes you’re going to get a similar pop-up asking for your root password; like going into synaptic. Basically Linux isn’t so needy, Windows you need to calm down.
“To mess up a Linux box, you need to work at it; to mess up your Windows box, you just have to work on it.” ~ Professor from Washington University.
While this rings true, I think companies are still going to use Windows XP. XP is the easiest OS to setup in the world, just my opinion, I’ve done it so many times I could do it with my eyes closed. I’ve installed Vista a few times and I’ve always had a problem with drivers; this was the same when XP first came out. Also, I don’t think Linux has become easy to install drivers on, NVIDIA is pretty easy to install drivers for, and ATI has released some drivers recently, but companies have been slow to adapt for the Linux community. There are some programs like Automatix for Linux that simplify the process. but usually have mixed results for people.
“…But Linux can only go up, and its growth potential is enormous. While Linux only has 1 percent of share on the desktop versus Microsoft’s more than 90 percent, that is changing, and the Linux desktop is expected to gain some share over the next two years” ~ Cole Crawford
We are currently in an interesting time for the Linux desktop. I ditched Windows XP earlier this year, because I had no desire to switch to Vista. My experience has been nothing but great. Everything that I did on Windows, I can do on Linux, Ubuntu is a great distro.
Also, it seems Vista updates have been leaked to the net and are coming soon! August 14th it seems. The most surprising thing that I have found, since I start using Linux, is that Ubuntu pushes down a lot of updates. Not just kernel patches and so forth, but actual security updates to programs. They are released much faster than Windows updates and these people aren’t being paid! Well some are I would imagine. It looks like Vista has a lot of work to do to become relative.
How the market reacts and businesses adapt to Vista should have a direct effect on the Linux desktop. At my work I don’t see us switching over to Linux, but I don’t see us switching over to Vista either; has Vista and Linux become synonymous?
4 responses so far ↓
1 Geedos // Aug 11, 2007 at 10:47 pm
Interesting post - especially the part about the security in Vista being so annoying (I love that Mac advert!).
Personally I use XP and although am tempted by Vista I wanted to wait until it had been released for a while and the first couple of sets of bugs worked out.
I agree that Linux users may increase in the home marketplace but I think from a commercial perspective Windows (and probably XP at the moment rather than Vista) will continue to be the safe bet across large companies.
2 bjb_nyj101 // Aug 12, 2007 at 2:55 am
um…..
lets see, i’ve been running a slackware based file server for over 4 years, and i use windows vista as my primary OS of choice. Linux on the desktop isnt ready yet, nor do i see it being ready this year. Every year since 2000/2001 has been ‘the year of the linux desktop’ and every year, nothing happens.
3 brent // Aug 12, 2007 at 8:35 am
bjb_nyj101
That’s true it seems every year becomes “year of the linux desktop” but the
landscape has definitely changed with Dell and Lenovo jumping on the Linux bandwagon.
Linux, she is a cruel mistress, she has broken our heart many times, every time you hear this you have to take it with a grain of salt.
The Linux desktop is maturing quite nicely, in my opinion, Firefox has been a great contributor, GIMP, all these cross-platform software packages, are also driving people to Linux. Also Virtualization is growing. etc etc etc.
Thanks for your comment
4 brent // Aug 12, 2007 at 8:36 am
Geedos
I don’t see corporations running to Linux or Vista, actually where I work we are buying up XP licenses incase our hardware provider decides to go strictly to Vista. I think Dell went to only Vista for awhile, but everyone was demanding XP.
Thanks for your comment
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