Is Windows Vista really driving people to Linux?

[sharks]

Is Windows Vista really driving people to Linux?
http://www.itwire.com/content/view/20367/1090/

[Canis familiaris]

I voted NO because people come to Linux because Linux is good rather than Vista is bad and it is not as bad as people potray it.

[Prefix100]

I came to Linux because I didn't want to move to vista.

I had known about Linux long before vista was around, but had never tried it.

I thought Linux was a lot different than it actually is.

[sharks]

I came to Linux because I didn't want to move to vista.

I had known about Linux long before vista was around, but had never tried it.

I thought Linux was a lot different than it actually is.

+1. same here. I also know Ubuntu for a long time but feared that it may go wrong. But i tried it and works well so far.

[zmjjmz]

I had to vote yes, because the other option would state that Vista had never been involved in anyone's decision to install Linux.
Which, clearly, is not true.

[HermanAB]

People that buy a new computer with Vista on it, are usually committed Windows users. However, people are looking around more and some are buying Apple or Eee PCs, so there is a gradual shift away from Windows.

The largest uptake of Linux on the desktop is outside North America in governments and businesses. Linux uptake in North America is marginal, simply because MS is a local vendor.

Desktop use of UNIX has grown from about zero to about 20%, which is a large shift, but in America it is likely around 10%.

The total use of Linux when including devices and servers is enormous though. Each year about 300 million Linux devices are sold, so there are about 2 billion Linux devices in use, which makes Linux far and away the most popular OS ever. Compared to that, the desktop market is a drop in the bucket.

[Rocket2DMn]

Moved to Recurring Discussions.

[Archmage]

I think - thanks to Vista - a few more people are thinking about Linux. Some of them will try Linux and some of them will stay at Linux.

The worser the Windows get the more people will switch.

[eldragon]

vista is driving businesses to linux, not home users. who usually buy new hardware with vista preinstalled and dont bother or care to switch.

users are probably moving to Macintosh thought....

[fiddledd]

IMHO Vista isn't having any effect on Linux. Most people buy a Laptop/Desktop with Windows pre installed. If it doesn't work as they expect, they return it, or put up with it. It makes no difference how many Linux devices there are, most people (the general public) haven't heard of Linux, so how are they going to know it's an alternative. The only way they'll know is with either loads of ads, or by seeing Linux PCs next to the Windows PCs. Like I said, Vista has no effect on this.

[Rocket2DMn]

I would have to agree that more businesses are moving to linux (at least on the server side). The reasons for this are two-fold:
1) It is cheaper for them to do so, rather than upgrade a lot of aging Windows systems. Vista is not catching on in business very well yet, since XP was so well established.
2) The tech support staff have more experience with linux, so businesses are more comfortable making the switch since they can get away without having to pay for enterprise linux services like RHEL or SuSe.

[Sealbhach]

Yes, I'm one. I was exasperated with Vista so I tried Ubuntu.

My brother got locked out of Vista due to an update to Norton so he practically begged me to set up Ubuntu for him. +2 Linux users here.



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[fiddledd]

Yes, I'm one. I was exasperated with Vista so I tried Ubuntu.

My brother got locked out of Vista due to an update to Norton so he practically begged me to set up Ubuntu for him. +2 Linux users here.



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I'm interested to know, how did you hear about Ubuntu?

[lian1238]

IMO, not really. I say that based on the type of window users I've seen.
1) They really need to run software which don't run natively on Linux, games included.
2) They've used Windows their own lives, they'll never use anything else.
3) They don't really do anything else on the computer other than web browsing and listening to music, e.g. they could care less what OS they're using as long as they can do their daily facebooking and youtubing..

What I've seen is that people will adapt to what's given to them. Take a Windows user, most of the time when they see a desktop, (correct me if I'm wrong) they'll right-click and refresh. It's funny to watch them right-click in Linux and look for a refresh button. In Vista specifically, users will automatically click the "Allow" button whenever the security thing pops up, etc.

And of course, the old stereotype "Linux is all command line" is still stuck in some people's heads.

[Sephoroth]

Heh, I am going to go with "yes". I definately believe it has increased the number of people who view Linux as a respectable/decent OS, even if it is out of their discontent with Vista. Because of this I feel like more people have been willing to give Linux a chance (e.g. "Oh, it cannot be as bad as Vista!").

I myself though have had little exposure to Vista and actually feel like trying it out (partially to see why so many are complaining).

[Sephoroth]

And of course, the old stereotype "Linux is all command line" is still stuck in some people's heads.

I do definitely agree with that. When I was first thinking about trying it out I felt that way but after seeing a demonstration of an Ubuntu setup with Beryl I quickly decided to try it out.

[Sealbhach]

I'm interested to know, how did you hear about Ubuntu?

I saw an article on Google tech news about Mark Shuttleworth and I remembered him from going on the Shuttle so I thought it must be worth a try if he's investing so much time and money into it.


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[billgoldberg]

No.

I think the people new to linux are people who are a bit web savvy and are tired of Windows. Or maybe they just want to try something else.

If Joe Sixpack doesn't like vista, he will use XP.

--

It goes without saying that there will be some people people migrating to Linux because of Vista. But those will be a small minority.

[Sycron]

When one day I get boored with WinXP, I google "linux" and found Ubuntu, Then my hacker life started (that was in february 2008 ) , WOW, that time I didn't know NOTHING about live CD... :}

Now, I'm a profesionel hecăr. :) All Romania si full of Joe's Sixpack .. :))) they're so dumb.

[karellen]

No.

I think the people new to linux are people who are a bit web savvy and are tired of Windows. Or maybe they just want to try something else.

If Joe Sixpack doesn't like vista, he will use XP.

--

It goes without saying that there will be some people people migrating to Linux because of Vista. But those will be a small minority.

I second your opinion. Vista is driving people to XP; those who use Linux would have used it nonetheless

[y@w]

In my experience, people who are actually mad at Microsoft over Vista just switch to OS X. Otherwise, they just seem to be downgrading to XP like billgoldberg suggested.

[Sycron]

I second your opinion. Vista is driving people to XP; those who use Linux would have used it nonetheless

I "triplend" this options... It's sad but true.

[Wharf Rat]

It influenced me.

[JC Cheloven]

No.

I think the people new to linux are people who are a bit web savvy and are tired of Windows. Or maybe they just want to try something else.

If Joe Sixpack doesn't like vista, he will use XP.
--
It goes without saying that there will be some people people migrating to Linux because of Vista. But those will be a small minority.

Following the scientific approach, I would suggest people here to be a bit more respectful with empirical evidence. Although not conclusive (based on only on less tha a hundred people's report), this little poll shows that a valuable percent of us have switched because of vista, and that some other valuable percent think that it is likely the case in general, giving majority to the 'yes'. Be sceptic as long as you can, but don't trust more on your argumentative thoughts than on empirical evidence ;-)

I said 'yes' because It is exactly what happened to me. I was happy with xp a year ago, until MS said that it would 'graciously' discontinue support for it shortly. I got angry with MS: I don't need that vista, I don't want to be forced to upgrade, I'm not willing to buy new hardware just because MS says so. I was being manipulated, I thought.

I started to google for alternatives, and found the impressive Mac, ... and the free software world. Oh! not only I can give up windows; Also I can use an honorable tool to do my job instead of supporting a monopolistic company, and I can belong to an unselfish and friendly community. My choice was made, but I would be still at MS place if vista wouldn't have appeared.

BTW: sometimes I had to setup vista for friends, for my sadness. It really makes me sick. The overdecorated bloated desktop and windows, the continuous pop-us asking/reporting silly things, the misfunctioning partition tool, your docs in a non-specified seventh-depth subfolder, agghhh... not to mention the "bundled third-party apps" (= shameless advertisement), eager to use your internet for who-knows-what purpose. Definitively, I think vista makes many people to consider other alternatives. Some will fall in the FS side, some in the mac side, and still others will carry on at MS due to habit.

[Irihapeti]

Three people in my family have switched or are switching to Ubuntu: my son, my son's girlfriend and I.

Certainly in my son's case, Vista would have been A factor but not necessarily THE factor. His Vista-preinstalled laptop drove him nuts almost from day one with problem after problem - but would he have thought of Ubuntu (or other Linux) if he hadn't known that I'd been running it for a year with almost no problems? I can't know for sure, of course, but it's possible that he'd have gone for XP instead.

In the case of his girlfriend, I don't think that Vista had a lot to do with it, because there was talk about possibly buying a new computer. I put it to my son to try installing a Linux distro before rushing into buying something, and that's what happened.

As for me, I think it was probably because I'm a bit adventurous with technical things and like something different. I'd already discovered Firefox, Gimp, OpenOffice, Thunderbird etc etc. Vista was being mildly annoying but I hadn't had anything like the problems that I've seen some people describe.

My own limited experience of other people is that they'll put up with almost anything rather than change over. But when I think about it, I realise that this isn't confined to computers. How many people do you know who keep fixing an unreliable motor vehicle or domestic appliance? Same thing.

[Liviu-Theodor]

I voted yes, because if it is happening in more than one case, than it is true: Windows Vista is really driving people to Linux. But of course, that is not the only reason. There are many others. And indeed, there are also converts from Windows Vista to Windows XP (mainly the gamers, but I do not exclude others). And I know it happened in more than one case. They had computers on which Vista could not run, but wanted a newer OS than Windows XP. I offered them ubuntu. Usually, they liked it. And of course, I have seen people unhappy with Vista on their computers, even better than with the "reccommended requirements" for Vista, not just the "minimal requirements", but on which ubuntu (to be fair, even Windows XP) works like a charm.

[JC Cheloven]

My own limited experience of other people is that they'll put up with almost anything rather than change over. But when I think about it, I realise that this isn't confined to computers. How many people do you know who keep fixing an unreliable motor vehicle or domestic appliance? Same thing.

Completely agree. However, if a kind neighbour with some skills in mechanics offers his help to you, kindly puts your engine to work, and suggests you to use a different kind of oil & fuel in the future, you will surely do. Many times, everything people need to change over is some help. And here are we, the idealistic and unselfish gnu-linux community ;-)