LXer: Opinion: Desktop Linux is ready for the mainstream
 

Published at LXer:

It's been a decade since Linux proponents first argued their OS was ready for mainstream adoption. Yet for all intents and purposes, Linux remains nonexistent on "regular" people's desks. Sure, developers and other tech experts use Linux, but that's about it. So when my colleague Neil McAllister, author of InfoWorld's Fatal Exception blog, made the case for desktop Linux, I snorted, "Give me a break! Desktop Linux is nowhere." He challenged me to try it myself. He had a point: It had been a decade since I fired up any desktop Linux distro. So I accepted his challenge. My verdict: Desktop Linux is a great choice for many regular Joes with basic computer needs. And not just on netbooks.

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It's OK for regular Brians as well.

I liked the rev however I don't know where your going with this bit.

Im not sure what your getting at with this bit. There's plenty of these apps for GNU/Linux and you can find at least one of each in the Ubuntu package manager (Well I did a quick search with synaptic and found them but I have all Canonical repos enabled and two third paty repos).

Installing most software from source is not exactly difficult especially if you read the README and INSTALL files that are usally in the tarball you download.

You also mentioned lack of Adobe and IBM software, Well I dont use any IBM software so I cant comment, but there's enough adobe software for any one who is not a graphic desighner (Flash and Acrobat). although I only have flash installed as there are many PDF editors/Viewers on GNU/Linux (my experience they don't render as truly as Acrobat but often do it a lot faster and in a much smaller footprint than adobe offering.

OK I'd except that Linux isn't a perfect desktop OS but I dont think Xp or Vista is either.

I wonder, if there was a global survey done on OS used, I bet us Linux users would crush the Windows users. I think there are a lot more of us than them, but then again, there are a lot of dual users too. It'd be interesting to find out.

I'm not sure if this is for the world or just US or what geo region.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...008OSchart.png

I think its unfair that I'm considered a Windows desktop user when I use it exclusively for games (and IM while playing games or a quick lookup on Internet cos its quicker than a reboot) this still only makes up for 10% of my use on my desktop. My EEE still has original Xandros (although I've rewitten the .ICEWM/* files) Im forced to use windows (and a version of Debian at uni) but even that is 75% Linux 25% Xp