Microsoft beware: the Penguin cometh
p2pnet news | Open Source:- Watch out Bill and the Boyz. They’re gearing Linux up.
It has a chance, “to finally crack” Microsoft ’s hold on computing’s most visible domain - mainstream PCs, believes Associated Press.
Because it’s a terrific operating system? Nope. Because of the rise of innovative, inexpensive machines, and the fact these days, drivers a much easier to find.
Linux is a already noted for security and stability and is, “widely used behind the scenes in corporate servers, making it a natural candidate to steal desktop thunder from Microsoft’s dominant Windows” and yet, Linux PCs still represent less than 2% of the market, says the story.
Of the 981 million PCs out there last year, “1.7 percent ran Linux, according to Gartner Inc” and whiole that may seem paltry, “Apple’s Mac operating system accounted for just 2.5 percent, and Apple is considered a significant, influential alternative to Windows.”
Cheaper laptops under $400 “are real possibilities now,” and some of the most “buzz-worthy,” such as One Laptop Per Child Foundation’s $200 XO, run on Linux, and even Intel, which cynically tried (and failed) to cash in on the the momentum created by OLPC, is being forced to sit up and pay attention via “slim little ‘netbooks’,” says AP.
Then, of course, there’s the money factor.
“Not only is Linux essentially free to the PC vendor, but the operating system also is better suited than Vista for cheap PCs’ spartan hardware designs and, although aWindows XP is available on scaled-back PCs such as Intel’s Classmate, it’s “unclear” what’ll happen, “after Microsoft soon stops selling XP to the general public”.
Amazon.com PCs include several Asustek Linux machines and although Wal-Mart recently stopped a test run of selling Linux PCs in some stores, “the company says it will continue to offer them online,” says AP, and “Business computing suppliers are finding open-source desktops especially gaining traction in cost-conscious developing markets” - ie, a PC distributor in Eastern Europe, “packaging software from IBM Corp. and Linux vendor Red Hat Inc. to create Microsoft-free desktops for that market”.
But Linux is partly hampered by its greatest asset —- its widely dispersed nature, says Associated Press.
Developers build different layers of software on top of the kernel to serve different computing purposes (open-source providers make money by charging for add-on services, such as technical support or security upgrades) and as a result, “Linux comes in many flavors, known as distributions, fracturing the push Linux might otherwise make —- and some programs written for one distribution don’t work in another.”
But in the end, it all comes down to marketing.
“We haven’t figured out to how to federate the marketing of the technology as well as we’ve figured out how to develop the technology,” admits Jim Zemlin, head of The Linux Foundation, in the story.
“His group is meeting with top PC makers next week in Austin, Texas, in hopes of accelerating their efforts to sell Linux machines,” adds AP.
Associated Press - Time Is Right for Linux PCs to Emerge, April 2, 2008
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April 2nd, 2008 at 6:24 am
why crieate a new web take for genune members genue adress &bio deta.
when aim seen every time ask a strenger how it is?
spending un bleivable expenditure.
I mean to say help for all why don’t think.
mohanreddymutyala.
April 2nd, 2008 at 8:33 am
The success of windows can be pinned down to one simple reason; system builders pre-installing the os on new machines. Most of the populace have no idea how to install an OS after they receive a machine. In addition, most have no inclination to do so.
There is still little to no choice in the area of pre-installed OSs. You can chose windows, windows, or windows. It’s a sad reflection on pc manufactures. They made a deal with the devil and now they are paying for it (vista).
Even dell, who supposedly champions Ubuntu as a pre-install option, gives in to the devil. Why would M$ need to advertise when pc suppliers plaster free advertisements on every page of their website? It’s quite comical really. You have big captions such as: “Dell recommends Windows Vista on their systems”; but that is the only OS they offer on 99% of all their systems. How can you recommend something when that is the only possible option?? Hilarious.
Until linux is given equal precedence, we are stuck with a pre-installed piece of bloatware that is windows. And by equal precedence, I mean as a legitimate option in the choice of OS when you select build components. I honestly don’t know why manufacturers aren’t jumping all over this. No M$ tax means the customer gets a better deal; lower hardware requirements, which means a faster system at a lower cost; linux installs with a large array of software applications e.g openoffice. By limiting themselves to a single dominant OS, suppliers are empowering M$ and surrendering any control over software.
April 2nd, 2008 at 8:40 am
????
What is the above post about… Never mind
Anyways on with my post
I think Linux has real promise but still needs some serious software backing.
many of the applications are missing critical features and there is still the file format issues which I wish the Industry Standards Organization would address.
But I think we will see major changes in the OS/Software Industries in the next 3 years that hopefully will lead to a more innovative environment instead of a competition environment.
The major factor hurting us the customer is the battle between MS, Apple and Linux/Unix.
The three should be doing more to come up with a cross-platform framework that they can all agree on.
April 3rd, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Adobe just joined the Linux Foundation… I can only speculate as to what this might indicate…
July 18th, 2008 at 11:49 am
linux rocks !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!