Windows 7

[Gannin]

In all seriousness, do you think Linux will continue to progress after Windows 7 comes out, or do you think companies that had previously supported Linux will drop their Linux support in favor of Windows 7?

It would be easy to say that Linux will continue to progress because we all love it, but what do you really think will happen?

[kaivalagi]

Linux will continue to grab more market share...albeit slowly

I'd like to think that users out there who have used Linux because it was the OS on their netbook etc will realise it is a good OS and spread the word etc.

I also think that the manufacturers out there who are providing a Linux option with their hardware will continue to do so, otherwise they will be undercut by their competitors who do.

[gjoellee]

Why would companies put Linux pre installed on a computer they sell? It is much cheaper for them!

[howefield]

Why would companies put Linux pre installed on a computer they sell? It is much cheaper for them!

That is probably not the case when you factor in license discounts and other incentives for preloading "trial/time limited" versions of various progs.

[M!SF!TS]

Thats such a hard question mannn... but your right i would LOVE to think and its sooo easy to think it will keep going stong, but my foresight is a good as a mole. hindsight is 20/20 though :P

i could only hope linux... in the end has all the company's realize that open source is the way to go, and or come to the realization that open source is here and is here to stay, and start working a developing with all these little stupid compatibility issue and come to an understanding that it is NOT their choice what programs and applications and OS's consumers will use it is THE consumers choice. weather your a OS X'er MS'er or Linux'er applications can and will run without issue on all platforms...

dude... Holy Scheisse i should run for president...

[n.ght1ne]

I personally think that support for linux will continue because of Microsoft's bad track record.

[luigi_mb]

I personally think that support for linux will continue because of Microsoft's bad track record.

There is more. I tried the beta of Windows 7. It seems to require the same hardware as Vista, which means that many machines that run Linux flawlessly, will sputter wuth Windows 7. In addition, the "standard" version can only run three (3) applications at one time!

Support for Linux will continue to grow, and perhaps even accelerate, when MS users finally realize that 1) there is really no reason to pay for an OS; 2) that Linux users enjoy free and expert support on forums such as this; 3) that just about anything they do under MS Windows, can be done (usually better) under Linux, and that the selection of software is far richer under Linux.

Ubuntu in particular should make extra efforts to show how smoothly the switch from MS can be carried out.

/luigi_mb

[donkyhotay]

Unless something changes in regards to technological or legal restrictions linux can only grow. Although not for everyone, most people (especially businesses) that seriously start to use it like it and don't move back. Many people migrated to linux because of the disaster vista was and most of those won't go back. Although people might have less of a desire to migrate once windows 7 comes out (depends on the quality of the final release) the people they lose until then are essentially lost. The more people that use linux the greater the likelyhood other people will be willing to at least try it. The more that try it, the greater the likelyhood people will permanently migrate. In the end, open source *will* win out. It will take years however (probably about 25-75), and I doubt there will ever be one specific "year of linux" where there is a mass migration, but in the end people will realize that open source is superior and become familiar enough with it that it becomes the standard. The only serious problem that may 'kill' linux would be if proprietary software companies manage to implement a major DRM scheme similar to trusted (treacherous) computing where a users hardware no longer allows anything but software from certain sources (i.e. the current major software manufacturers now). Open source would still eventually win out in that scenario but it probably won't happen until after a few hundred years of very strict intellectual property rules and most likely open source would be applied to new technologies we haven't thought of yet that make 'computers' as we know them now obsolete.

[WiFi Ed]

In addition, the "standard" version can only run three (3) applications at one time!

/luigi_mb

Well...kind of. That limited version of which you speak will only be sold by OEM's in "developing" countries (aka Third World).

All versions of Win 7 sold in most (if not all) of North and South America, Europe, large areas of Asia, etc. will run as many apps at one time as the CPU and ram will support.

Perhaps not as well as Ubuntu, of course, but still....

[TWO]

It may well continue to grow...but let's be honest, it's not going to grow to any level which is going to pose a threat to a Windows OS.

I can see open source software becoming more popular, but that's about as much as one can hope for. Businesses are not going to switch to Linux based OS's en masse, and to suggest this is not really looking at reality. They'll stick to what they know and as ever, Linux will remain the pursuit of enthusiasts and those that realise that there are other operating systems in existence than Windows.

As for Vista, well I expect that it will become more popular over time, just like Windows XP did and that the complaints about it will diminish over time.

[Rocket2DMn]

Moved to CC: Recurring Discussions. There are lots of topics on Windows 7 and it's effects on linux.

[Giant Speck]

Linux will continue to grow. Linux has been around for as long as Windows has. It didn't form as an alternative to Windows and its success isn't dependent on the successes or failures of Windows. It's an entirely different and separate entity altogether.

[gonzomalan]

Linux will continue to grab more market share...albeit slowly

+1. i think this globalized society we move towards levels the playing field for any tech endeavors. and maybe some of the emerging diy culture, or anyone who likes to feel a little more in control, will provide a little linux growth as well.
i think the price tag also gives (most) linux distros and apps an advantage. if a proprietary program is popular enough, it's only a matter of time before there's an open source port or comparable program that's almost as good, as good, or better (firefox).

[MikeTheC]

People use Windows out of fear. People use Linux (or, though it's not in this poll, Mac OS X) out of choice. There's a difference.

Microsoft is scared and desperate. They're starting to see their customers floating away like ice flow sheets breaking up. They're worried because, for the first time in ages, they have two real, credible and serious competitors, neither of which can they get rid of (for different reasons). Their continued iteration of Windows (in general) and NT (in specific) is doing little to win them any trust from the public.

In short, they're continuing to rely on blind allegiance, obedience, and the wanton ignorance of the general public, three things which I believe it's fairly common knowledge are themselves starting to be overcome in a meaningful way. Windows itself is little more than iterations of bad "designed by committee" code which still frustrates their users. They've also "just" put out a new version of their other crown jewel, MS Office, which is forcing considerable retooling and retraining across the world, resources which many companies in many countries can ill afford to commit just now.

Perhaps I'm overeager or overly ambitious (I've been accused of worse) but we could be looking at the "perfect storm" here, vis a vis potentially wiping out Microsoft. We'll simply have to wait and see on that one.

[cariboo907]

Why would the release of Windows 7 have any effect on Linux usage. The only thing I can see happening is that the people who installed Ubuntu because they could not keep their Windows computer running, will find a copy of Windows 7 somewhere, they won't purchase a copy, and use it until it is in the same state as their current Windows installation.

I think a better topic for a poll would be to find out how many people will actually buy a copy of Win 7 when it is released.

Jim

[Wv0wvw88wvw0vW]

I've used Windows 7 and it's a massive improvement, and overall the best operating system I've ever used. Linux is spartan, course, more for the administrative/security fanatics which will invoke (and has) a cult following, but I think the only companies that would choose a "user-friendly" OS they grew up with, with Linux, are those that can't find a cheap software developer for them in Windows e.g. Red Hat to Wall Street. I'm probably being pessimistic, but I live the day when someone chooses an operating system based on it's performance and stability, rather than how inflated the icons has gotten since last version.
Peace out lol

[SunnyRabbiera]

I've used Windows 7 and it's a massive improvement, and overall the best operating system I've ever used. Linux is spartan, course, more for the administrative/security fanatics which will invoke (and has) a cult following, but I think the only companies that would choose a "user-friendly" OS they grew up with, with Linux, are those that can't find a cheap software developer for them in Windows e.g. Red Hat to Wall Street. I'm probably being pessimistic, but I live the day when someone chooses an operating system based on it's performance and stability, rather than how inflated the icons has gotten since last version.
Peace out lol

You forget though windows 7 is still in beta, one cannot tell how good its going to be based on beta's.
Me I think linux adoption will grow, perhaps even surpass windows for one major reason:
Economy, MS will never give out freebie versions of windows 7 to the consumer...
to big companies yes but come on windows 7 will probably be overpriced, need a massive amount of hardware to run and force people to get new computers.
If windows 7 is a bigger hog then vista was, which I have no doubt I see a window opening up for linux.

[Gotaro]

As a long-time user of Windows, I'm sure support for Linux will continue to grow. The market is already so small and specialized that the overwhelming majority of PC users aren't even aware of its existence. I think it's sort of a delusion in the Linux community that Linux is big at all. So no, it won't diminish with the release of Windows 7. It will continue to grow at the staggeringly slow pace it always has.

Besides, I'm definitely here to tell people that Linux is not for anyone looking for an easy OS. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone who wasn't motivated to do constant research to figure out how to do things and fix speed bumps, etc. The only way it would be "easy" is if you used it directly out-of-the-box, and didn't have ambitions to find and install any special software.

With Linux, I haven't been able to just install the OS and play around until I've learned it. I've installed, played around for two minutes, ran into an error, and had to research for a couple (or more) hours, or I've been stumped on how to do something and had to research for a couple (or more) hours to find out how, or even IF it's possible. Nothing I've installed (save for FF/Thunderbird/Quake Wars) has turned out to run smoothly without research/tweaking, or if it has, it's turned out to be practically useless (EnvyNG). MOST packages are old, broken, incompatible, useless, or all of the above.

Also, my FF looks like crap. I know it doesn't show in the picture, but when I took the SS, the entire scrollbar was white except for the moveable bar itself. This happens anytime I use my scroll wheel. My window decoration is outdated, as well. It's the most modern-looking one native to KDE, and definitely better looking than any in Gnome. It's pretty ridonk to think Linux's modern native decorations still look 10 years old. What does that say about the ones that DON'T look like XP? Lol..

[Gotaro]

People use Windows out of fear. People use Linux (or, though it's not in this poll, Mac OS X) out of choice. There's a difference.

Microsoft is scared and desperate. They're starting to see their customers floating away like ice flow sheets breaking up. They're worried because, for the first time in ages, they have two real, credible and serious competitors, neither of which can they get rid of (for different reasons). Their continued iteration of Windows (in general) and NT (in specific) is doing little to win them any trust from the public.

In short, they're continuing to rely on blind allegiance, obedience, and the wanton ignorance of the general public, three things which I believe it's fairly common knowledge are themselves starting to be overcome in a meaningful way. Windows itself is little more than iterations of bad "designed by committee" code which still frustrates their users. They've also "just" put out a new version of their other crown jewel, MS Office, which is forcing considerable retooling and retraining across the world, resources which many companies in many countries can ill afford to commit just now.

Perhaps I'm overeager or overly ambitious (I've been accused of worse) but we could be looking at the "perfect storm" here, vis a vis potentially wiping out Microsoft. We'll simply have to wait and see on that one.
I wouldn't say people use Windows out of fear.. They use it out of convenience. Now, maybe people DEVELOP on Windows out of fear. That's pretty understandable.

Linux is NOT a "real and serious" competitor, not any more than Microsoft's own older versions of Windows are. People would MUCH rather stick with the oldest supported Windows than buggy Linux with its extreme learning curve.. Like I said before, the only people Linux will appeal to are the ones who are so tech-ignorant that they will likely never install software and never use their OS for more than checking email and surfing the web, or the ones who are so motivated (or bored) that they will spend many hours researching how to accomplish simple tasks and use the command line.

[BigSilly]

Lets see Windows 7 get 95% of the market first like XP, before we have this discussion.

Linux is currently doing well up against a massive XP installed user base and against the odds. That's not to be sniffed at. It might only have a small user base right now, but it's growing all the time and will continue to grow imho. There's nothing I can see to suggest otherwise. And with a painful recession setting in, there'll be more movement over to open source yet to come from governments, companies and home users.

Windows 7 is neither here nor there.

[Chame_Wizard]

is this fun (http://www.zdnet.com.au/insight/software/soa/Is-it-Windows-7-or-KDE-4-/0,139023769,339294810,00.htm) or what?

[Gannin]

That's just great.