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It kills me to say this: The dream of Linux as a major desktop OS is now pretty much dead.
Yep. Assholes like me!Then you get a bunch of assholes arguing over whether the software is dead or not.
To this end, what does it mean for a dream to be dead? Does it mean people are no longer dreaming about it? If so, it strikes me as a major omission that the author offers no evidence or studies relating to what people are dreaming about.It offers no metrics for evaluating whether the subject of his thesis "the dream of Linux as a major desktop OS" is dead.
Um that's not a definition of the word "dead". It's a thesis statement which includes the word dead.
It offers no metrics for evaluating whether the subject of his thesis "the dream of Linux as a major desktop OS" is dead.
you have to admit that a free operating system having 1% market share when competing products cost hundreds of dollars is disheartening to say the least.
The problem with these articles is that the word "dead" is so poorly defined for non-biological entities, such as computer software. Then you get a bunch of assholes arguing over whether the software is dead or not.
Marketing may be helping Windows dominate in the short term, but ads can only take Microsoft so far--particularly given the financial and security costs of its products to users. It won't be much longer before Linux is generally viewed in the mainstream as a compelling and attractive alternative.
I don't think so at all.I think it's pretty obvious what major means.
That's one particular dream relating to desktop linux, but certainly each individual will have their own personal dreams and aspirations for what they want it to be. I've submitted a few bug fixes in my time, and I was really only trying resolve some annoyances that I had personally encountered - if anything my desktop dream has turned to a reality.heatlesssun said:Support for iTunes, Netflicks, games, etc. Think of it this way, the dream of having all of the software and services available to Windows and OS X on desktop Linux are pretty much all but gone.
That's one particular dream relating to desktop linux, but certainly each individual will have their own personal dreams and aspirations for what they want it to be. I've submitted a few bug fixes in my time, and I was really only trying resolve some annoyances that I had personally encountered - if anything my desktop dream has turned to a reality.
I'm sure Android does a decent job of making up for the "death" of Linux in a fairly stagnant desktop market.
But let's face it. The games aren't coming to Linux. The productivity apps aren't coming to Linux. DRM content isn't coming to Linux. And if that suits people once again nothing wrong with it. But once again, without the things that make desktops intresting and useful for average folks the numbers won't be there, the support won't be there, and no, Linux on the desktop can't be a major force.
I agree with most of what you've said in this paragraph, but what does that have to do with the desktop dream of linux being dead?
Wow, sounds kinda like when the government gives those that are poor free money. M$ is practically it's own government..I guess.They stop casual pirates. I remember when Microsoft was offering Windows at a discount to those who had a pirated version of Windows. MS will gladly make money where ever they can.
I really like the versatility of linux and overall think it is very usable. BUT, there is always at least one issue that is a huge pain in the ass to find a fix for. This kills the deal for me every time.
The dream of Linux being a MAJOR player on the desktop is dead. Without the leading apps for dekstops that you agreed probably would never be on desktop Linux how can it be?
1) Because that's not necessarily a requirement for it to be a "MAJOR player", which as I mentioned earlier is a very poorly defined expression. One might reasonably define the requirements for being a "MAJOR player on the desktop" as having > 0.1% market share, since this is quite a feat and suggests that it is a viable alternative even if not the preferred one.
2) Even if it were, the probability of something happening has little bearing on whether people will dream about it. In fact, people frequently dream about improbable situations. My guess is that many people still hold aspirations/dreams for Linux becoming a "MAJOR player on the desktop". I would also guess that many people already feel it is.
I wonder if anyone has seen the rebuttal to the assertion that Linux on the desktop is dead, posted by Katherine Noyes this morning. http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20101019/tc_pcworld/reportsoflinuxsdesktopdeatharepremature_1 She raises some points that I think are valid. How are we to know how many Linux installations there are? Since only Linux SUPPORT is actually sold, and since Linux is freely and legally distributable, many if not most installations might fall under everyone's radar.
At this moment, I type this reply in Firefox under Linux Mint 9 (a derivative of Ubuntu Linux 10.04). I downloaded my copy. Many users do likewise. How do we establish how many installations stem from these downloads? After all, there is nothing to prevent a user from downloading a distro, installing it, then passing the CD or USB key to a friend to install from.
I can now get LM9 to provide me with desktop effects that I never heard of for Windows. How easy is it for a Windows user to get his windows to wobble and shake when moving them, maximizing them or restoring them from maximization? Does this capability come stock with Windows, or is a third-party program necessary? If you need a third-party program, don't you take a risk of installing malware along with it? Is it even possible?
Another example: I have no buttons representing applications on my taskbar! Instead, I can use a window list to restore or shift between windows. This is a great way to promote screen privacy. If I walk away from my machine, I can hide any open windows from prying eyes simply by minimizing all windows. Once it's done, little or no hint of their presence shows anywhere on the desktop. This power is included in LM9. Can you do that in Windows? If so, how much does it cost?
DEAD?
What the hell is wrong with you people? I can see that being a legitimate summation if you only use you PC to PLAY GAMES.
I use linux PC 90% of the time. 8 hrs a day. 5 Days a week; sometimes more if I'm on a special project. I have NEVER looked back and NEVER needed windows anything to be productive at work.
I have a different PC for gaming, which I use maybe a few hrs a week. Which is MORE RELIABLE? The LINUX machine hands down.
DEAD?
What the hell is wrong with you people? I can see that being a legitimate summation if you only use you PC to PLAY GAMES.
I use linux PC 90% of the time. 8 hrs a day. 5 Days a week; sometimes more if I'm on a special project. I have NEVER looked back and NEVER needed windows anything to be productive at work.
I have a different PC for gaming, which I use maybe a few hrs a week. Which is MORE RELIABLE? The LINUX machine hands down.
DEAD?
What the hell is wrong with you people? I can see that being a legitimate summation if you only use you PC to PLAY GAMES.
I use linux PC 90% of the time. 8 hrs a day. 5 Days a week; sometimes more if I'm on a special project. I have NEVER looked back and NEVER needed windows anything to be productive at work.
I have a different PC for gaming, which I use maybe a few hrs a week. Which is MORE RELIABLE? The LINUX machine hands down.
By definition? What definition of "major" is this? I presume yours, but the word "major" is incredibly subjective - it is also commonly interpreted in the context of a comparison, which the author never defines as part of their claim. I am not contrarian just because I have a different, yet equally legitimate interpretation of the what constitutes a major desktop OS.Well theres always the contrarian, at this point youre just arguing against common sense and reason. A platform that doesnt have mainstream apps and 1% to 2% market share by definition isnt major.
I love this picture, it's so true
Compared to the little toy OSes I've worked on, Windows, Linux, and OSX are all major desktop players.
I've stated quite a few times that "major" is a very subjective term. Different people will have different metrics for determining this. Do you understand what I mean?So why is Linux major?
I've stated quite a few times that "major" is a very subjective term. Different people will have different metrics for determining this. Do you understand what I mean?
DirectX is a major barrier for Gamers.
If Linux supported DirectX natively (or if DirectX supporting Linux, rather) I would switch in a heartbeat. For many gamers, the OS is simply a layer between their game and their hardware - it doesn't matter all that much what it is, as long as it works and lets us browse forums/email etc.
And yes, gamers are at the forefront of the technology. We are the early adopters, and if we don't adopt, generally the mainstream doesn't ever see it.
Actually it'd be far easier for games to switch to using OpenGL, OpenAL and other open, non-proprietary and cross-platform solutions. There's absolutely no good reason to use DirectX at all.