+1 Amen to that!

That doesn't exactly mean that more people will use Linux in the future. Like you say a global group is working on Linux, but as is often stated they do it for themselves and other like-minded people.

It's definitely more than Windows alone. Isn't that why they've conspired this long with Intel (the Wintel marriage) to make sure that this absolutely doesn't happen? I can't see Intel giving up the lucrative position it holds in symbiosis with Microsoft. And Intel processors and chipsets are sitting inside 90+% of the computers out there.

Microsoft has had to go to some extraordinarily crooked lengths to make sure their OS resides on so many machines; putting money in a lot of pockets and putting some others out of business. Linux can't (and wouldn't) do that because their is no 'Linux CEO' with a crazed market ambition.

It has to be appreciated that a lot of people are not willing to face the black-hole that would arise fom Windows losing it's position - users in semi-tolerable comfort, afraid of change, and the many 'Windows techs' who make a living from pseudo-tech things like installing programmes for users and cleaning out spyware.
We don't expect people to become mechanics just because they buy a car, so why do we expect people to become Linux savvy just because they buy a computer?

I'm not sure about that. As Linux continues to develop, and more eyes see the source code, it is becoming something which provides for the wants and needs of a greater number of people.

It is (and always has been) a better quality product than anything Microsoft have ever released.

Governments of the world are dropping Microsoft like a hot potato after fears about data retention and forward compatibility. They're beginning to realise that storing important information in electronic documents of a proprietary format is not a great idea.
You make it sound so bleak. It's just software. There will always be plenty of work for tech geeks. Yes, they will have to learn how to do things properly (or should that be, "unlearn proprietary methods?"), but there will always be work for them, like installing programs, etc.
We don't. Which is why there are "boot & run" distros like Ubuntu.

We do expect people to undergo around 30 hours of training and pass theory and practical tests before we allow them to use a car on their own in public. And driving a car is a lot simpler than using a computer.

Of course, we have the driving test not because driving is hard, but because it is dangerous.

putting a muppet infront of an internet connected computer w/o a clue is dangerous too. May not cost lives directly, but can cause enough damage.
IMO everyone should need a licence too before being allowed to use a computer.

Apart from that, the last few pages here read like a Jehova's Witnesses handbook (maybe call it Torvald's Witnesses), or any other nutjob 'organization', trying to convince others by all force that their statement/faith/whatever is the correct one.

There's no need for Linux to be market leader, especially not in a militant/fundamentalist way.

I do agree however that Windows should be unbundled from computer sales. The user should decide themselves what they want. Free and own choice > rest.

linux was not viable at the time but things have changed now, maybe soon you will see laptops with a lower price tag, tripple booted with linux/mac and windows giving the end user a choice. some may want to pay the extra for a windows or mac licence but others will simply go for linux.

this is not true for the embedded world and it will never be true !! (would you get on a jumbo plane if you saw the windows logo in the cockpit, knowing your life depended on the OS,software and hardware working together in harmony ?)

Are you sure ? High end distro's work out of the box and the x-windows GUI is not that different to M$ windows, have you ever used a high end linux distro ? if you have why did you change back to M$

if you use a computer for internet / email and looking at photos most people would not even know they were using linux, they might just think you have a strange 'DESKTOP THEME'

If you write code for linux there is a lot of difference!!!
and it is only when you code in assembler that you really see the beauty of the operating system and why it is so flexible and reliable.


too late !! linux is so flexible and powerfull that it can now run virtual operating systems, if you like you can also have fedora running a virtual debian which is running wine which is running cygwin

just as java and html were designed to run on a virtual machine we now have complete operating systems running on virtual hardware


I will be bold and say that real hardcore computer enthusiasts are migrating to linux because it gives them freedom to PIMP their OS, as for the plankton of society they don't see any benifit or reason to change (just as children see no reason why they cant play on railway lines), those of us on the fence will soon switch to linux when they see others using linux and that will happen when linux starts to be included on instalation disks and the penguin is advertised on television and computers come pre-installed with linux and hopefully all schools will start using linux in the classroom and educating the future generation.

Graham

No it's not too late. Sure you can download/install a program that lets you install Windows to run side-by-side with Linux, and you can install a program that lets Windows programs run.

But the system is still pure Linux.

Still, just listen to this:

"For Linux to grab Windows's market share, it needs to become Windows"

Doesn't that idea sound stupid and screwed up to you? An OS should turn into its competitor?

Hi,

It boils down to one thing to a user: 'Ease of use'. If a user has to jump through hoops to utilize a tool then that tool will soon be replaced with one that doesn't require a cumbersome action.

The masses have been indoctrinated to accept the M$ Win way and don't want a change unless there is something to gain. Sadly, GNU/Linux and Open Source are still in flux. Sure I have enjoyed the ride but the average Joe/Jolene would not have the patience to be in flux. The ever evolving state of GNU/Linux distros has been a daily improvement but most business models demand stability. Sad that M$ hasn't gotten to a stable state for the money spent on R&D. Their OS should be the best money could buy but it hasn't met that goal.

Some users are moving to GNU/Linux expecting solutions instantly but without desired expected results that just don't evolve for lack of understanding. Sure some elementary actions can be supported generally but when a user doesn't have the means to system generation/regeneration or the means to add a desired tool without hassle then that user will revert to what they understand. Be it wrong or not.

BTW, religion should not be a deciding factor/thought. Faith to a OS will get you no where. All OS are just a TOOL that can be used by someone to achieve the desired action. If one OS works for one thing doesn't mean the other can be adapted to do the same. But that other OS can sometimes get to the same end by other means. Use the tool that will allow YOU to get the desired end results. Beat your drum for all to hear but remember that someone else may tickle the ivory so that a tune may evolve from both instead of noise.

One of my work colleagues was able to use a computer running Lubuntu and it took him no time at all to find the 'system properties' (he wanted to check what processor the computer had). So yeah, some people can handle the switch easily.

yes it is.

Yes I agree, but perhaps it could be a mac os that is running linux on a virtual machine that has windows installed.... my point here is that the OS is becomming unimportant as a platform ! it is the virtual platform that gives the power to the users.. and to run a virtual platform requires a lot of CPU power which linux can handle far far better than windows.
type in 'bench' into a matlab prompt and see what is at the top of the food chain, this is why 80 percent of all the worlds super computers run linux. It is why linux is the prefered embedded os because it consumes less battery power because it is more effecient, it is reliable. perhaps you would be happy to have a pace maker running windows but most engineers and technical people would not !


Linux is already grabbing the windows market share... it is being done by attrition and that is because users are waking upto and catching up on the technology and realise they actualy have a choice and that microsoft is not the only shark in the deep water and linux has a much bigger bite capacity than windows ever will.


Graham

'Free' as in 'take me' in a business card kind of way, not free as in a beer. :-P

^ both.

have you tried typing the why command in matlab ?

Oh yeah !!

That is very funny ! thanks


Graham

What does it do?