We do need strategies - these ideas are good and we need more
Posted by: Anonymous
[ip: 82.192.250.149]
on May 03, 2008 10:38 PM
GNU/Linux won't take off until it's easier to buy it pre-installed on new computers. According to Netcraft, only about 0.7% of desktop computers run GNU/Linux today (IIRC Mac is about 7% and Windows the remaining 92%). So there's no incentive for most computer companies to support GNU/Linux.
I disagree with the goal implied in the statement:
"If Linux advocates can do the same, then Windows will be in trouble." It's not only laughably unreal, it's even counterproductive. Comments like this have persuaded Microsoft it needs to squash Free Software, and with its resources, it's doing an effective job of that (see numbers above). Apple is more sensible, it just wants to compete for 5% to 10% of the PC market, so Microsoft adopts a live-and-let-live policy. I just want Free Software to be viable. I think 5% to 10% of the desktop market would be fine; GNU/Linux would be as easy to buy pre-installed as MacOS is today. Microsoft would still have 80% of the market, but hardware makers would have a reasonable incentive to support Linux.
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We do need strategies - these ideas are good and we need more
Posted by: Anonymous [ip: 82.192.250.149] on May 03, 2008 10:38 PMI disagree with the goal implied in the statement:
"If Linux advocates can do the same, then Windows will be in trouble." It's not only laughably unreal, it's even counterproductive. Comments like this have persuaded Microsoft it needs to squash Free Software, and with its resources, it's doing an effective job of that (see numbers above). Apple is more sensible, it just wants to compete for 5% to 10% of the PC market, so Microsoft adopts a live-and-let-live policy. I just want Free Software to be viable. I think 5% to 10% of the desktop market would be fine; GNU/Linux would be as easy to buy pre-installed as MacOS is today. Microsoft would still have 80% of the market, but hardware makers would have a reasonable incentive to support Linux.
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