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The author misses the bigger picture completely. Microsoft used to see Linux as competition, and while that might still be true in some ways, it’s largely moot
by headmelted 7y ago
The author misses the bigger picture completely.
Microsoft used to see Linux as competition, and while that might still be true in some ways, it’s largely moot for a couple of reasons.
In 2019, Windows isn’t competing with Linux for desktop market share not because Linux poses no threat there, but because the desktop doesn’t matter anymore.
Windows, and the desktop operating system as a concept, is competing with the web browser in the enterprise and mobile devices in the retail market (and even then, it’s not really a competition - most casual users gave up computers for smartphones years ago).
Viewed in that lens Microsoft genuinely embracing Linux makes a lot of sense - most of their revenue now comes from service contracts, and the one bedrock they’ve always had is their second-to-none developer support. If developers want them some Linux, then by gosh Redmond is going to give them more Linux than anyone else. Maximum Linux for your organisations’ Linuxy needs!
Microsoft still has great support for gamers on Windows as an incentive not to check out Wine/Proton and things happening there, but really, when was the last time you paid for a Windows license for home use? One way or another they’ve been literally giving the software away as quickly as they can for years. The future is about services, and that means market share (if users leave because they can get a free OS elsewhere then the license has to go). Likewise, if it gets more developers to stay in the ecosystem, then Linux support it is.
- baybal2 7y agoSince when? That's nonsense. Browser and a whole operating system are two different things
- nonfamous 7y agoChromebooks would like to have a word with you.
- vegarab 7y agoAre they? cough ChromeOS cough
- DylanDmitri 7y agoFrom user perspective, OS has become a commodity. https://xkcd.com/934/ https://xkcd.com/934/
- headmelted 7y agoEven if this were true, leaving the ChromeOS argument aside (which you shouldn’t, it’s awesome for casual users), it has nothing to do with what I said. Most software that would’ve been desktop applications moved to web applications a long time ago. Web applications don’t care what the client is running, ergo, the web platform is your competition.
- AnIdiotOnTheNet 7y agoYou're talking to SV web devs who's careers depend on and are entirely focused on web tech.
- headmelted 7y agoExactly. I sometimes wonder if people are so in the bubble that they don’t realize we’re rarely the audience.
- FpUser 7y agothe desktop doesn’t matter anymore most casual users gave up computers for smartphones years ago I would consider either statement to be completely false. While less people have full blown desktops almost everyone has laptop and modern laptops are good enough. I would agree that there are many poor countries/places where people can only afford smartphone. But hopefully the future of humanity is to get better rather than going down to that level.
- headmelted 7y agoI don’t think sales figures support the notion that everyone has a laptop at all but I’d be happy to stand corrected.
- FpUser 7y agoI have few laptops. One is very old, 5-6 years I think gaming Asus. It still runs all titles just fine. If I was not a programmer why would I upgrade from that one? This can obviously make people upgrade less.
- headmelted 7y agoRight but you’re a programmer on HN (same as most of us here I’d assume). My point was that we’re not typical users - most users don’t use a traditional computer outside of work anymore as the phone fills that gap for them. Microsoft isn’t threatened by Linux because they have way bigger things to focus on these days - ubiquitous mobile devices and proving Windows’ relevance in an age of web browsers everywhere.
- FpUser 7y agoI do not have crystal ball with precise stats. I do however know and communicate with many people far removed from programming. Nearly all of them have laptops, few have actual desktops. Beside as an owner of some products with 10s of thousands of customers I regularly receive customer wishes. Requests to port to Mac OSX are clearly visible. Requests to port to phones are zilch.