Comments on: Forget Windows, the Real Competition is the iPhone http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7321/ Open Source, Open Standards Sat, 05 Oct 2013 13:48:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: ctryon http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7321/#comment-6398 ctryon Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7321/#comment-6398 I wonder sometimes if this statistic really matters. Judging from the self-selection statistics, it's a pretty good bet that the real number of desktops out there is very different from whatever number they've come up with, but in any event, does it matter as long as <b>I</b> can use the desktop I want to use?<br /> <br /> In one sense, it doesn't matter, but then again, market penetration stats drive developers, or more to the point, project managers when they look at where to target their applications. If IE still had 95% of the browser market, do you really think Web developers would CARE about building cross-platform, standards compliant sites? Will Nvidia and ATI ever CARE about releasing drivers for their video cards for Linux if there is less than 1% of their marketplace demanding those drivers?<br /> <br /> So, I guess the answer is, I keep pushing for people to use Linux. After all, every newbie Ubuntu install I can get out there means one less system I'll have to fart around with cleaning up viruses and Trojans on. I wonder sometimes if this statistic really matters. Judging from the self-selection statistics, it’s a pretty good bet that the real number of desktops out there is very different from whatever number they’ve come up with, but in any event, does it matter as long as I can use the desktop I want to use?

In one sense, it doesn’t matter, but then again, market penetration stats drive developers, or more to the point, project managers when they look at where to target their applications. If IE still had 95% of the browser market, do you really think Web developers would CARE about building cross-platform, standards compliant sites? Will Nvidia and ATI ever CARE about releasing drivers for their video cards for Linux if there is less than 1% of their marketplace demanding those drivers?

So, I guess the answer is, I keep pushing for people to use Linux. After all, every newbie Ubuntu install I can get out there means one less system I’ll have to fart around with cleaning up viruses and Trojans on.

]]> By: kdskinner http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7321/#comment-6399 kdskinner Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7321/#comment-6399 I think Linux may have missed "winning the OS war." I have been running Linux on the desktop since the late 90's. Two years ago I needed to purchase a new laptop. I started doing laptop comparisons (my old laptop ran Linux only) and looked at a bunch of systems from companies such as System 76. I also looked at Apple computers because of both my son's and a nephews urging. Cost between the Apple I bought and the Linux lappy I was looking at was a wash. I could run both OSX and Linux on the Apple so the Apple was purchased. I found I liked OSX so much that I don't run Linux on the Apple much at all. I also found I liked Apple's build quality so well that I have continued to purchase Apple products. I expect that when we replace my wife's desktop eventually, it will be with an Apple product as well.<br /> <br /> The point? I always have considered myself a Linux guy but have found that I prefer a Unix based OS on the desktop - OSX. I also have an iPod 5G to store my music on and an iPOD Touch for a PDA and eBook reader. I think I may be the future, even though I am approaching 60 years old. I think Windows will continue to decrease in market share, Linux will hold at about 1 to 2 percent and Apple's OS's will continue to take more and more market share. <br /> <br /> At least the "winning OS" will be based on Unix not Microsoft Windows. I think Linux may have missed “winning the OS war.” I have been running Linux on the desktop since the late 90′s. Two years ago I needed to purchase a new laptop. I started doing laptop comparisons (my old laptop ran Linux only) and looked at a bunch of systems from companies such as System 76. I also looked at Apple computers because of both my son’s and a nephews urging. Cost between the Apple I bought and the Linux lappy I was looking at was a wash. I could run both OSX and Linux on the Apple so the Apple was purchased. I found I liked OSX so much that I don’t run Linux on the Apple much at all. I also found I liked Apple’s build quality so well that I have continued to purchase Apple products. I expect that when we replace my wife’s desktop eventually, it will be with an Apple product as well.

The point? I always have considered myself a Linux guy but have found that I prefer a Unix based OS on the desktop – OSX. I also have an iPod 5G to store my music on and an iPOD Touch for a PDA and eBook reader. I think I may be the future, even though I am approaching 60 years old. I think Windows will continue to decrease in market share, Linux will hold at about 1 to 2 percent and Apple’s OS’s will continue to take more and more market share.

At least the “winning OS” will be based on Unix not Microsoft Windows.

]]> By: lelnet http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7321/#comment-6400 lelnet Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.linux-mag.com/id/7321/#comment-6400 The zealots are welcome to keep trying to take over the world. The degree of success they've achieved thus far has gotten us here.<br /> <br /> But frankly I don't care if Linux ever becomes dominant on the desktop. I care that the desktop remains a competitive market. Linux helps with that, and so does OSX, and so do cellphones that can handle real apps, and so does every contributor besides Windoze.<br /> <br /> What matters is not how many other people use the particular browsing platform I use. It's whether enough people use alternatives to the default choice that web developers who refuse to cater to anything but the default will be under massive selection pressure.<br /> <br /> I wouldn't cry as hard if Apple crushed all competition as if Microsoft did, but it would still be a problem. Diversity is the key. As long as we have diversity, we can use whatever platform suits us as individuals, rather than being shoehorned into the choice of an ignorant and apathetic majority. The zealots are welcome to keep trying to take over the world. The degree of success they’ve achieved thus far has gotten us here.

But frankly I don’t care if Linux ever becomes dominant on the desktop. I care that the desktop remains a competitive market. Linux helps with that, and so does OSX, and so do cellphones that can handle real apps, and so does every contributor besides Windoze.

What matters is not how many other people use the particular browsing platform I use. It’s whether enough people use alternatives to the default choice that web developers who refuse to cater to anything but the default will be under massive selection pressure.

I wouldn’t cry as hard if Apple crushed all competition as if Microsoft did, but it would still be a problem. Diversity is the key. As long as we have diversity, we can use whatever platform suits us as individuals, rather than being shoehorned into the choice of an ignorant and apathetic majority.

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