Does it worry anyone that Ubuntu is becoming unpopular?

[bryanfblareunion]

I think Ubuntu is still a great distro. It's definitely better than windows in my opinion, but I still use windows for some things that ubuntu just can't do. I feel like that's why ubuntu is maybe becoming a little less popular. at every new release, people try it out hoping that some of these bugs have been fixed and yes, many have, but some areas of ubuntu still have room for improvement.

[ironhoof]

Not for me either, I don't care if they say Ubuntu is a beginners OS. I can clean it up, and make it faster. Its STILL used as my main OS. There are (not named) versions people swear by. I don't have time to read an entire Wiki just to install an OS though. I love Ubuntu Linux , and all the work everyone has put into it. I have converted my entire family, and several friends. I also have about 4 other people who want to convert to Ubuntu THIS weekend. They show their friends, and then they show their friends. I have converted 16 people in 4 months. I REALLY just wish these people would learn how to install it themselves. Its not like its difficult, and it takes up a lot of my free time. I think the results will be more clear when we can actually figure out how many people are using it for sure.

-Cheers

[s0rc3r3r]

Well, I am quiet new to Ubuntu, but my experience with Ubuntu, right from installation to time till, now has been a smooth cruise.
Only thing was to install the ethernet driver which was a walk in the park.
a lil bit of hiccup here and there and yeah..that all got sorted out in here in this very forum.


A few of my hardcore WINDOWS friends used my laptop to browse the internet and ya know..for general use kinda thing.
They really liked the way UBUNTu was running, and handling stuff.
All of em were so impressed by it and a few of them installed UBUNTU on their systems.

They never had anything to complain about the Ubuntu system.

Secondly, I have a buddy who owns an internet cafe and trust me he has more virurses in his computers that windows system files.After seeing Ubuntu and using it on his laptop he is seriously considering to change all the windows system to unix in his Internet cafe.

I think its just that, in Windows you have an easy FIx, Uninstall, reinstall or FORMAT![common thing most people do]
In Linux there is always a fix.without loosing the data, thought its a bit twisted way...I mean..there is always a way..and you dont have to pay.

It takes a while to get this message across I guess!
I mean..good things always takes time...

[jshepherd]

Personally I don't think is as simple a case as whether Ubuntu isn't popular or Windows is better. The way I see things is that people in the main want a computer OS that's a jack of all trades. Windows has it's faults but it (in the case of Windows 7) also has it's good points, the user interface is very intuitive for example. I Use Windows because it comes pre installed on my computers (why not use what you already have?). I prefer Ubuntu and open source that's why I dual boot but, sadly, some of the better commercial app's either don't have equivalents or don't run under Wine. Lotus notes comes to mind. M$ Outlook is still streets ahead of Evolution etc and whilst BasKet is very good it still isn't as flexible as OneNote. I love open Office and use it in Portable app's on my work (XP) laptop because I prefer it to Office 2007 although OOo calc is nowhere near Excel standards. Yes I know it's all free but then many people, like me, get to use computers other people have paid for so the ludicrous cost of M$ is negated. Take into account the current problems people have financially and I'd guess new computer sales are down too. Just my thoughts though.

[NCLI]

Don't delude yourself.

What is actually somewhat interesting is the constant decline in popularity for "linux":

http://www.google.com/trends?q=ubunt...ate=all&sort=0

Well, we all know that search is growing, and more and more non-techies are using the Internet. I think it has more it do with the increasing number of average Joes who search than the declining popularity of Linux.

[toupeiro]

What worries me more is that there are elements of it that feel like they are becoming commercialized, or at least paving the way for that. I dare say, more paved than some of the actual commercial versions of Linux.. I could care less how popular people think it is.

It still remains a solid operating system, that for the greater part of it doesn't try to shove ideaology down your throat about free formats like fedora, or being completely open like GNUsense. It still strikes a good balance between freedom and function, and until it doesn't anymore I will promote it, support it, and use it.

[bouncingwilf]

Well it's not unpopular with me so what do I care? And as for Google statistics - I never use it! (Meta engines such as ixquick)

bouncingwilf

[Denis Krajnc]

I don't care. I just want it better with every release.
It's best for me, that's why I use it.

[jshepherd]

Ubuntu still rocks. I don't care if it looks commercial either, just means more mainstream acceptance and better and better support. I'd love to see Ubuntu used everwhere.

[toupeiro]

Ubuntu still rocks. I don't care if it looks commercial either, just means more mainstream acceptance and better and better support. I'd love to see Ubuntu used everwhere.

Not that I have any proof it will happen, but lets see if this is still the tune you sing if/when you have to start paying for tenets of your functionality in ubuntu that have shifted priorities from free/open source offerings to closed/proprietary offerings that canonical gets kickbacks from.

The more I think about it, If I had to pay for a linux OS, I would rather pay canonical directly for their contributions than to put it in the hands of special interest proprietary development and get my functionality in pieces. I can see paying for open source in the way ubuntu makes it easily accessable, and if I don't want to pay for it, I can still build and compile myself. When you start integrating with third parties that offer competing products, and could very easily offer download incentives to Canonical to promote their products, it hurts FOSS projects. I only care because I fundamentally agree in the cynergies and tenets of development FOSS brings to the table. The other way sucks.

I digress, but that is why its becoming worrysome for me. Just reading corporate writing on the wall. I still hope I am wrong.