Re: [News] GNU/Linux Desktop Barriers Get Eliminated
Re: [News] GNU/Linux Desktop Barriers Get Eliminated
Canuck57 <dave-no_spam@unixhome.net> espoused:
>
> "Moshe Goldfarb" <brick.n.straw@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1dvhepxcjp2do.s8n2pf9vptf2$.dlg@40tude.net...
>> On Thu, 27 Mar 2008 02:44:09 +0000, Roy Schestowitz wrote:
>>
>>> Disruptive Technologies that Affect Desktop Linux
>>
>> Yea.
>> Like Windows having 90+ percent of the desktop market.
>>
>> Tell me, why is Linux still at 0.6 percent (0.8 percent according to the
>> BBC) when Linux is free?
>>
>> Something is seriously wrong when a product cannot be given away.
>
> People involved with Linux know those numbers are cooked.
>
> For example, they survey say the too 100 companies, and limit it to current
> desktops, the figure might be right.
>
> But that old hand-me-down PC, hobbyists, Linksys routers, Internet servers
> are excluded.
>
> Some small business that can't afford the M$ hit run it, but never get
> interviewed.
>
> Efforts like OLPC are excluded, as are other countries where Linux
> popularity is much higher, excluded.
>
> Many are seeking Macs and Linux as an alternative, and because it is "free"
> (or paid if you wish) no one really knows how many out there run it.
>
> Software is now a commodity. MS just hasn't figured it out yet.
>
>
The market share argument is easy to disprove, just take a look at
Amazon's top selling laptops (today's figures, 29/3/08 1100gmt):
1. Asus Eee 4G - Linux preload
2. Apple Macbook 160G - OSX preload
3. Asus Eee 4G - Linux preload
4. Asus Eee 8G - Linux preload
5. Apple Macbook Air 80G - OSX preload
These are what people are *buying*, these are *the market* for
sold/purchased units.
What's more, this situation has been much the same for at least a couple
of months, perhaps more.
The really fascinating thing is that the asking price for the Eee has
risen significantly from its intitial launch, showing that the demand is
very strong indeed, and furthermore, Asus report that they're only able
to produce about 1/3 of current demand.
--
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