Linux isn't a threat to Windows on the desktop and is losing steam on the server as customers separate the operating system from the development model, according to Microsoft's chief platform strategist. Bill Hilf, general manager of competitive strategy at Microsoft, said pundits have predicted for years that Linux will gain momentum on the desktop, but that won't happen because of the complexity involved in delivering a tightly integrated and tested desktop product.
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Member since:2006-06-16
"Choose whatever works best for you. If it's Linux, so be it. If it's Windows, fine. Or Mac, Solaris, BSD... everyone has his own preferences and that's fine."
That's exactly what it boils down to, and that's why I switched. Choice. If Windows had a 100% market share, there would be no choice. The world would be Windows, and if it sucked, too bad. But Windows don't have 100% market share, and that's a good thing. Choice is a good thing. Use cars as an example. If we only had Ford Motor Company building cars, and all other car companies went out of business, what incentive would Ford have to give us a better product? There wouldn't by any. So we would have the same model year in and year out. No changes, and very few advances. Choice forces innovation, and if you don't think Linux makes Microsoft innovate, you need to think again. For a while in the 90's, it was only Mac competing with Windows. Now, we have Linus, Mac, BSD, and several other unixes vying for workspace.
The home user is going to use what they see at work. I think somebody else said that in a previous reply. The fact is, more people are going to see it at work because Microsoft is screwing the pooch at the moment. They have missed several deadlines, giving the other software companies a chance to play catch up. And contrary to popular opinion, there is innovation going on in the Linux community as well. Its just you see it in Windows first because Linux don't have a big fanfare rollout of the technologies being pushed.
Member since:2005-11-11
//Choose whatever works best for you. If it's Linux, so be it. If it's Windows, fine. Or Mac, Solaris, BSD... everyone has his own preferences and that's fine.//
Agreed. Exactly correct.
What I simply don't understand is the apparent need of Windows people to try to say such things as "Linux isn't ready for the desktop" or "Linux doesn't have applications" or "Linux is hard to use" or "Linux program names are confusing" or "Linux has no hardware drivers" or whatever ... when clearly it just isn't so.
Why do people invent this stuff?
Member since:
2006-04-19
"Linux is taking major leaps but they are right, it's just not there yet. I'm not saying I agree with everything they say there is wrong with Linux, I'm just agreeing with that one statement. Linux isn't ready for the desktop."
The very fact that Linux is used for desktop machines proves that it is a solid and very good alternative. But it is not the right solution for everyone, that is for sure.
Yes, Linux took major leaps. That's true, but the "Linux isn't ready for the desktop" is not completely true. For some tasks it is already a better OS than e.g. the ever-popular Windows. In other areas, Windows is still the best solution. It really depends on what you want to do, what knowledge you have and so forth. But saying "Linux isn't ready" is simply wrong, as there are at least as many Linux users as there are Mac users. And is Mac not ready for the Desktop?
"I doubt Linux was concieved with the sole purpose to destroy Windows. It is there as a FREE alternative."
Very true. Choose whatever works best for you. If it's Linux, so be it. If it's Windows, fine. Or Mac, Solaris, BSD... everyone has his own preferences and that's fine.