I only quoted this reply above, but with this i answer for all questions that you wrote.

It's not possible. Why? Because of this:

http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statyst...w_operacyjnych

It's in polish in fact but look at the Windows table, and look at the Linux table. The content show popularity of operating system. Windows is popular, Linux? Well, rather not at all. XP owns mor than 70% computer users, while Linux is installed only on 0,95% of computers...This table can be not actuall but differencies are not that great.


First: Linux is os for people with great knowledge, with experience. Many people don't have time to spend on learning os, dependancies, ho to play sound, what to do in order to play music, movies, set up their network, how to install programs or drivers for hardware (it's big problem, very big problem), where to find linux version of program that will be as functional of those form windows (for an example: we have Logitech cam. On Windows we have program called Logitech Video App, when on linux...we don't have at all. We have to search software for it - in my case it's wxCam) etc. They want to have something that is easy to controlit. That's Windows. You put new hardware, install dsoftware and it's done.

Second: look again at the tables. Linux is not popular like Windows. You must know that - games are good example - cost of developing games/programs is so expensive that one mistake can lead to bankrupcy. For an example: "Too Human" has a budget nearly 300.000.000 dollars ! That's the thing, look at games - many are consoleports. Why? Because it has to earn. They won't give money for something that will cause waste of funds. So we have games that are simple, from consoles, look rather ugly (it's fact. Modern computers are few times faster than PS3, X360. Computers can run the games iin very high resolutions, with AA, AF, PhysX when consoles...well...i don't need to mention it - was owner fof PS3)


I would like to play on Slackware, but that won't be ever - Linux is to complicated for most poeple, it's not much popular as Windows, and developers aren't insterested in it cause they want to earn - costs are to high for experiments. Look at developers that done something unusuall - "Okami"- they went down. Have you ever played Fallout 1, Fallout 2, Planescape Torment? Then you should know that these times won't back. These games are too difficult for people, too long (but have great story told). Now games must be short, easy (without story...good story). Have you ever played Dragon Age 1? Than look at Dragon Age 2 - this game is simplified than predecessor.



I nearly forgot - in Linux case, i prefer having less software, but tested, than have MAAANY software, like Windows has, but with poor qualitry, stability, and with poor functions [i live in country where we have few tv standards of sound. Because of this, i practically can't watch tv with tv tuners on my commputers because software still tries to change PALD to PALB, and PALB to PALD (i had aver tv tuners, i had leadtek tv tuners, i had compro tv tuners, i had gigabyte tv tuners), sound is pip/broken/beep (i don't know how to write it in english - in one minute we have sound, than it's muted, we don't have anything, then it shows up againd on full volume, and...again is muted...) but with Linux i don't have problems at all. I installed Tv Time, set it up, and i can watch without problems with switching sound standards from one to another. This is not a driver related error, it's problem with control software, where Linux doesen't have this kind of problems].

the main problem / issue with non-free proprietary software is the support
there was a very good example of this last month .

somebody needed help installing a program on fedora 2 ( yes you read that right fedora 2)
The kicker was this was MEDICAL software built for fedora 2 when fedora 9 was the current

Ouch! Should life-line type software even be built/released on open source? As mentioned by JognVV: support is the magical wand here. Okay, if my Java dies, that's too bad (well, not really) but medical software HAS to be sure of a supported base.

I think that the moment there is reasonable support, Linux would break tru in the workplace as a viable alternative to the "thing"...

Yes, support is important, how did Red Hat earn all that money?

And yes, a lot of Linux distros, I would say have a problem or two with support period, I was searching recently for some info about Ubuntu EOL distros support and what I found out is that if you actually edit the sources list in Ubuntu and change all the lines that look like this;
to
You will be able to install and remove software in any EOL Ubuntu distro because there actually are mirrors with all the packages for them. Now, I didn't see that mentioned in any relevant places and I don't know if something like that exist for some other distros, but it would be good if it did and IMO it should. But when it comes to Linux, there are always forums, irc... etc. if you need help. I know that's not kind of a support that Red Hat will offer you, but in the end it's all about developers and users, how much they care about each other.

Basically, things could be better, but everybody has to work on that.