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> ...it never ceases to amaze me that Linux has yet to take hold on the desktop market. If you don’t get this you should probably just admit you don’t understa

by jmull 8y ago

> ...it never ceases to amaze me that Linux has yet to take hold on the desktop market. If you don’t get this you should probably just admit you don’t understand the desktop market and refrain from commenting.

PostOnce 8y ago
The average user probably wouldn't know the difference, since a computer is a browser and an office suite -- but there's no real incentive to sell anyone Linux? It wouldn't make anyone much more money, so what company would bother? Thinking out loud, I haven't thoroughly researched my position but it sounds plausible. edit: the implication being they're just going to use whatever is installed on the laptop that they pick up for $400 at the store, which of course will always be Windows, since Microsoft can afford to make the effort to sell it. Why would any regular person go to the effort of installing another OS for the same functionality?
- hluska 8y ago
  What could happen to demand if you dropped $150 from the price of a machine that would serve the needs of those average users?
  - belltaco 8y ago
    Windows costs the OEM much less, it's almost free when you add in the money they get from bundling software like antivirus trials etc.which they won't get from installing Linux or selling without an OS. Also their support staff are trained to handle Windows. Adding Linux to the mix will increase costs.
  - jarfil 8y ago
    What would happen is the Asus Eee, which got such a high rate of returned units from people who didn't understand Linux that it ultimately got canceled.
    - meekins 8y ago
      I wonder what's the rate with current Chromebooks for example? The UX of the distro chosen for EEE PCs (unfortunately I don't remember the name anymore) was really strange and something that was alien for users of any mainstream Windows, Linux or Mac desktop. I wonder if it could have succeeded better with something like Xubuntu instead.
  - zaarn 8y ago
    Most likely, the price would drop no more than 10$. OEMs don't pay much to Microsoft.
hluska 8y ago
I understand the desktop market, but I don't understand why a Linux distribution hasn't taken hold on the desktop market. A vast number of users use their computers to check email, look up things on the web, and type up an occasional document. There are several Linux distributions that can do these things quite easily out of the box. Meanwhile, Microsoft has been steadily sabotaging Windows. And Apple is simply too expensive for the average user. That doesn't seem too controversial. You'll have to explain why I should 'refrain from commenting'.
- AnIdiotOnTheNet 8y ago
  > A vast number of users use their computers to check email, look up things on the web, and type up an occasional document. This kind of condescension towards users and what they use a computer for is precisely why Linux doesn't have a foothold on the Desktop. Linux Desktop people design for some imagined person who, to the extent that they even exist, doesn't care at all about their operating system. They try so hard to make it easy by automating what they think the user wants to do that they make the system incredibly complicated and inflexible so everything falls to pieces the moment the user tries to color outside the lines. This is sorta what parent meant, I think. If you don't understand why Linux is a failure on the desktop, you don't understand why people use desktops.
  - hluska 8y ago
    You would have more success convincing people if you were a little more charitable. It is very difficult to have a reasonable conversation when it starts with an insult. That is not condescension as I am not condescending towards users. Rather, it's reality. I volunteer with an association of retired people and 100% of our executive and every single member I have ever spoken to fits in in that group. They don't do more than that because frankly, they don't particularly like their computers. I also briefly sold computers when I was in University. Over that 18 months, I'd say that 85% of people who needed my help were looking for machines that could do exactly that. Finally, I really question what kind of Linux distrust you use. With a half decent, consumer focused distribution, I can't imagine how anything could fall to pieces the moment someone colours outside the lines.
m-p-3 8y ago
You could argue that ChromeOS has, since it's based on Gentoo.
throwaway123156 8y ago
Taking that statement out of context reverses its meaning. The author clearly believes they know why it hasn't taken over the market. That's the entire point of the article, and they start explaining immediately after the sentence you quoted. I can understand why something happens and still be amazed by it. That's what the author is saying. They understand why, but it still amazes them.
subjectsigma 8y ago
> If you don't have my opinion you should stop talking Oh boy

by jmull 8y ago

PostOnce 8y ago

The average user probably wouldn't know the difference, since a computer is a browser and an office suite -- but there's no real incentive to sell anyone Linux? It wouldn't make anyone much more money, so what company would bother? Thinking out loud, I haven't thoroughly researched my position but it sounds plausible. edit: the implication being they're just going to use whatever is installed on the laptop that they pick up for $400 at the store, which of course will always be Windows, since Microsoft can afford to make the effort to sell it. Why would any regular person go to the effort of installing another OS for the same functionality?

hluska 8y ago
What could happen to demand if you dropped $150 from the price of a machine that would serve the needs of those average users?
- belltaco 8y ago
  Windows costs the OEM much less, it's almost free when you add in the money they get from bundling software like antivirus trials etc.which they won't get from installing Linux or selling without an OS. Also their support staff are trained to handle Windows. Adding Linux to the mix will increase costs.
- jarfil 8y ago
  What would happen is the Asus Eee, which got such a high rate of returned units from people who didn't understand Linux that it ultimately got canceled.
  - meekins 8y ago
    I wonder what's the rate with current Chromebooks for example? The UX of the distro chosen for EEE PCs (unfortunately I don't remember the name anymore) was really strange and something that was alien for users of any mainstream Windows, Linux or Mac desktop. I wonder if it could have succeeded better with something like Xubuntu instead.
- zaarn 8y ago
  Most likely, the price would drop no more than 10$. OEMs don't pay much to Microsoft.

hluska 8y ago

I understand the desktop market, but I don't understand why a Linux distribution hasn't taken hold on the desktop market. A vast number of users use their computers to check email, look up things on the web, and type up an occasional document. There are several Linux distributions that can do these things quite easily out of the box. Meanwhile, Microsoft has been steadily sabotaging Windows. And Apple is simply too expensive for the average user. That doesn't seem too controversial. You'll have to explain why I should 'refrain from commenting'.

AnIdiotOnTheNet 8y ago
> A vast number of users use their computers to check email, look up things on the web, and type up an occasional document. This kind of condescension towards users and what they use a computer for is precisely why Linux doesn't have a foothold on the Desktop. Linux Desktop people design for some imagined person who, to the extent that they even exist, doesn't care at all about their operating system. They try so hard to make it easy by automating what they think the user wants to do that they make the system incredibly complicated and inflexible so everything falls to pieces the moment the user tries to color outside the lines. This is sorta what parent meant, I think. If you don't understand why Linux is a failure on the desktop, you don't understand why people use desktops.
- hluska 8y ago
  You would have more success convincing people if you were a little more charitable. It is very difficult to have a reasonable conversation when it starts with an insult. That is not condescension as I am not condescending towards users. Rather, it's reality. I volunteer with an association of retired people and 100% of our executive and every single member I have ever spoken to fits in in that group. They don't do more than that because frankly, they don't particularly like their computers. I also briefly sold computers when I was in University. Over that 18 months, I'd say that 85% of people who needed my help were looking for machines that could do exactly that. Finally, I really question what kind of Linux distrust you use. With a half decent, consumer focused distribution, I can't imagine how anything could fall to pieces the moment someone colours outside the lines.

m-p-3 8y ago

You could argue that ChromeOS has, since it's based on Gentoo.

throwaway123156 8y ago

Taking that statement out of context reverses its meaning. The author clearly believes they know why it hasn't taken over the market. That's the entire point of the article, and they start explaining immediately after the sentence you quoted. I can understand why something happens and still be amazed by it. That's what the author is saying. They understand why, but it still amazes them.

subjectsigma 8y ago

> If you don't have my opinion you should stop talking Oh boy