Linux share at record high.

**phaed** · July 26th, 2010

Originally Posted by Spr0k3t

There are a few users who have no clue what operating system they are actually using, but they do all their work on Linux.

haha, that's like my parents. 4 years ago their computer got infected by a bunch of viruses, so I installed Ubuntu. As long as it had a web browser so they could check their email and shop, they were satisfied. A few months ago I mentioned to my mother that I needed to stop by to update Linux, and she said "What is Linux?"

**donmiguel** · December 26th, 2010

i dont know.. would wikipedia be biased? maybe by the "open"-thinking spirit thingy.

but you might just trust wikipedia statistics, since you can go look up from geeky tech things that we like to look up until to where a tv spot celibrity has been born.

enjoy

http://stats.wikimedia.org/wikimedia...ingSystems.htm

**NCLI** · December 27th, 2010

Originally Posted by donmiguel

i dont know.. would wikipedia be biased? maybe by the "open"-thinking spirit thingy.

but you might just trust wikipedia statistics, since you can go look up from geeky tech things that we like to look up until to where a tv spot celibrity has been born.

enjoy

http://stats.wikimedia.org/wikimedia...ingSystems.htm

I just wish Google would release their stats...

**handy** · December 27th, 2010

I rub shoulders with a broad range of people & only 2 of them use a distro. Both members of the same family, that I put onto Linux roughly 5 years ago. (They are the only ones I ever would poke Linux at & it was due to the son being a really talented nerd who would very quickly learn to do all of the maintenance -> I don't do support anymore.)

From personal experience I don't think that Linux on the desktop is anywhere near 2%.

But what do I know, I'm only speaking from my small experiential, localised statistical sample.

I don't know what is happening in China, Russia & India. Linux stuff IS happening there.

When we start talking about statistics & we don't know what half of the worlds population is up to re. the statistical subject then we don't truly know what the genuine figures are.

How can we make an informed judgement when we don't know all of the facts?

**MisterGaribaldi** · December 27th, 2010

Hmm... Well...

AFAIK, Linux achieved dominance in the server space (whether or not it's a majority) a while ago, and has held onto that by virtue of being solid, stable, and economical. There's lots of places still running Windows Server, and there are still plenty of Microsoft-heads, but Linux has had a very solid rep as a server platform for a while and so that's had quite an effect.

When I think of "platform dominance" or "platform share" I generally think about installed desktop OSs, not server OSs, since server "head count" only really matters to groups which write and/or support server-specific products.

In that regard, Apple is still ahead of Linux, and unless they do really stupid things long enough, it's likely to remain well ahead of Linux for the foreseeable future.

As others have said on here, however, dominance is now starting to transition over to mobile devices, and in that area at least -- thanks to Google -- Linux is becoming the dominant platform.

**handy** · December 27th, 2010

@MisterGaribaldi: I agree with you as far as the Linux server space & its likely dominance in that realm is concerned, but I think the topic of this thread is basically in regards to the amount of Linux desktop penetration.

As I mentioned previously, we just don't know the numbers. Half of the world's population is dramatically increasing its use of desktop Linux, & they don't feed us (the Western public) data on the subject, that I'm aware of anyway.

If anyone does know where we can somewhat useful statistics on the subject there are certainly very many of us who are interested in perusing them.

**rg4w** · December 27th, 2010

Originally Posted by HermanAB

Why are people concerned about market share? It doesn't matter at all. Nobody makes any money out of Linux 'market share'.

Read "Crossing the Chasm" and "The Tipping Point".
Every computing professional who prefers Linux has a dog in this race.

**handy** · December 27th, 2010

Originally Posted by rg4w

Read "Crossing the Chasm" and "The Tipping Point".
Every computing professional who prefers Linux has a dog in this race.

You have said nothing except that ALL Linux professionals are gamblers who like to bet on dogs & that there is apparently a dog race they are all involved in which is documented in at least the two books you referenced only the titles of.

?