Will Linux ever replace Windows???

[bcarl314]

This is not meant to be a "Trash Bill Gates/Microsoft" thread, but rather an intelligent discussion on the future of operating systems.

I've used Linux off and on for a few years now (since Red Hat 6.2) and I've got to say that that the Open Source community has really improved on the usability of Linux for the general public. Since most users are not interested (actually quite terrified) of the command line, the development of a user freindly GUI seems to be the key to breaking into the market place. That and allowing other companies to develop software for your system (which seems to still plague macs).

Now I just installed RH 8.0 on a box and am REALLY impressed. Very user friendly, but still not as "intuitive" as a Windows environment.

Do you think Linux will ever break 10% penetration? 25%? 50%?

[jkd]

As long as Dell/Gateway/HP/whatever continue selling home pc's with Windows preinstalled, I don't think Linux will break the 10% amount for desktop users.

Linux has nice browsers (Mozilla, Konqueror), nice email clients (Kmail, Mozilla mail, etc), a nice desktop (KDE3), so what is it missing? A nice uniform experience I think... sometimes things just seem meshed together. Plus, call me lame, but I like being able to pop in Warcraft 3, or MoH:AA, and not have to build WineX or whatever from CVS just to install and play .

But yes, I am a quite happy user of SuSE 8.0 (but dual booting WinXP SP1).

[oracleguy]

I visited a high school a few months ago. And the IT guy had outfitted the school all with custom built Linux machines. LCD Panels on them too. They were all thin-clients, all the software was on these linux application servers. About 700 machines.

I thought that was cool. So everyone in that school has exposure to linux.

[ionsurge]

Well personally, I think that people are beginning to realise what a resource hogger windows is, and how much more resourceful Linux is.

But I agree, as long as it comes pre-installed, it will be the popular one.

[mouse]

No. When Adobe, Macromedia, Discreet and the legions of game producers start developing for it then maybe. I don't see that happening.

[sage45]

Exactly, I agree mouse... It's not that M$ has formed their stranglehold on the market themselves, it's the fact that major manufacturers of software/hardware have decided that M$ is the OS for PC systems... Yes, they do build in support for the *ix based OS's (as far as drivers and a few apps) but for the most part that support is very basic...

True, it can be said, that the more demand their is for Linux based systems, the more support there will be, but in the immediate future, as long as M$'s system becomes more and more user friendly, we will never see it overcome...

-saige-

[cg9com]

i saw a comp. up at an electronics store, that had linux on all of there demo systems ... pretty cool.
however windows is far too widely used now to try and replace it.
if it did happen it would be a slooooow process.

[brothercake]

If business started using Linux for thin client or general desktops, that would make a big difference to software developers' view of the market; there is already a lot of Office software for Linux - Open Office (which can even read MS Office macros; but not the other way round), Star Office, email clients, messengers, diaries, and so on - enough to do most non-power-user stuff;


But I like Windows. I'm 10 times more productive in it than any other OS; Microsoft have been, and still are, an incredibly innovative company; I just wish they were a bit more ethical .. and that IE6 wasn't so broken

[fan]

i don't think so because lots of people don't know what linux is and when you buy a computer (this is for romania) they don't install linux, they install windows. in romanian schools teachers teach you about windows not linux. but linux is a nice OS=(Operating system) and people should try it.

fan

[fan]

i don't think so because lots of people don't know what linux is and when you buy a computer (this is for romania) they don't install linux, they install windows. in romanian school teachers teach you about windows not linux. but linux is a nice OS=(Operating system) and people should try it.

fan

[cg9com]

Originally posted by brothercake

But I like Windows. I'm 10 times more productive in it than any other OS;

indeed i like it as well, except for the *ahem* browser

[oracleguy]

Originally posted by brothercake

But I like Windows. I'm 10 times more productive in it than any other OS; Microsoft have been, and still are, an incredibly innovative company

I agree. I mean I'm all for linux and stuff, its just that M$ has worked hard (well maybe not worked... stole perhaps?) to develop an easy user interface. Its simple enough for computer illterate people to start learning it quickly and it has accomidations for power users too.

Linux needs some work on its user interface. I mean maybe its just the few flavors of linux I've used but to do a lot of stuff its all command line. Like to install a program. Its not so bad for me; I remember to good old DOS 3.3 days And I'm fond of the command line; however most people are not. Thats why Xerox developed the GUI.

[cg9com]

its not that the command line is bad, its just that, to have a succesful product you have to appeal to the masses, and that means a mindless interface
not to mention, that just like a webpage, you need to accomidate for impatience.

[oracleguy]

Originally posted by cg9com
its not that the command line is bad

I'm not trying to say that; I actually like the command line (some of the time at least)

[jkd]

Originally posted by cg9com
its not that the command line is bad, its just that, to have a succesful product you have to appeal to the masses, and that means a mindless interface

mm, like comparing:

# tar -xzvf somefile.tar.gz
# ./configure
# make
# make install

To *double-click* .