Linux chronicles
The release of the new Ubuntu distro of Linux, the adoption of it by Dell for some systems, and the desire of many to find an alternative to the Microsoft monopoly has led to a raft of articles. There are too many to cover in this blog but a list of ZDNet articles is here.
Some of the commentary that I found most interesting was Adrian Kingsley-Hughes’ discussion of why Linux has not yet been able to establish a bigger presence on PCs. He has two articles on the subject and begins:
Question: Why is it that the average computer user still chooses to spend hundreds of dollars on Windows or Mac when there are countless Linux alternatives that they could download, install and make use of completely free of charge?
The PC market is extremely cut-throat. It has to be because consumers will go to great lengths to save a few bucks when buying their latest system. But it seems that this thriftiness hasn’t resulted in hordes of users choosing to buy PCs without Windows installed and instead choosing to install Linux instead. In fact, there are plenty of users who would rather break the law and install pirated copies of Windows than go the legal route and install a Linux distro. On the whole, most people would rather spend the money on Windows (or Mac) than take the time to experiment with Linux.
Why?
Kingsley-Hughes then gives eight crucial things that he says the Linux community doesn’t understand about the average computer user. Linux proponents could learn something from his points. My personal experience with Linux is limited but my impression is that it involves far more than the average PC user wants to deal with. For example, although personally I use the command-line all the time in Windows (see my site on the subject) even one command-line requirement is too much for most home users.
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