ZDNet says "Linux Desktop is Dead"!

[shining]

But CIOs do control the IT budgets for corporates...One thing I agree with those guys in the article is that Linux is somehow too fragemented, IMHO. I wish all Linux developers can come and join together to work on just ONE distribution, and that distro can be shipped with both KDE & GNOME as default options. I think it's because of we have too many distros, giant vendors like Dell or HP don't know which is the best distro they should preinstall as OEM. . I know GNU/Linux, FOSS are all about FREE choices, but it will make us stronger as a whole community then being fragmented as it is now...

Why would you just keep one distribution, and 2 desktop?
At least, be logical with yourself

If there is a reason to keep more than one different desktop environement, then the exact same reason apply for keeping more than one distribution.

I still agree there are way too many distribution, only a few are really interesting, and all the resources spent on the others could be rather spent on the few good ones.

[ericesque]

agreed, shining.

One of the largest areas of redundancy is common apps for gnome and KDE. Currently it isn't too hard to have a gnome app work on a variety of gnome distros (or KDE). But it can be a pain to run kde apps on gnome or vise versa. Not to mention the extra libs that may be required.

I'm not promoting one desktop environment over the other here (tho for giggles, I'll say i prefer gnome) I'm just saying, that to unify the whole and reduce redundant development, stick to one or the other.

While on the other hand--as I think about it-- you've got some pretty entrenched camps on either side. In order to have any unity, you have to satisfy both gnome and kde die hards.

Time to begin development of gKDnomE.

[B0rsuk]

Smart man uses right tool for the job. A distribution is a tool, too. The very idea of one distro for all is monumentally stupid.

[ericesque]

Actually, I agree that there is no real reason to create one Uber distro-- or limit ourselves to one desktop environment. In my previous post I was fleshing out shining's concept about having one desktop environment. In case the sarcasm was overlooked, my comment about creating gKDnomE was mean as such.

Ultimately I agree that the devs are spread a bit too thin. Still, they manage to do a wonderous job. I think the real issue is community support. Not support for newcomers. These forums are a great and seemingly sufficient resource for that. I think the community should be more supportive of the devs. Making sure that they are filing bug reports and contributing in any way that they can. I would venture to guess that many linux--even Ubuntu-- users know how to code on some level. I'd venture that even more know how to troubleshoot and create documentation. I think this is where we (and I include myself in all of this) as a community let the developers down... and then demand more features, faster development, and and and and

[BoneKracker]

ZDNet article: "Linux is unlikely ever to be a viable alternative to Microsoft's Windows on the desktop for corporate IT departments, according to leading CIOs."

http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9590_22-6134965.html

The "Leading CIOs" they quote are a "CIO Jury" (i.e., panel) put together by silicon.com. According the article, they included:

Today's CIO Jury was...
Neil Bath, IT director, Brewin Dolphin Securities
Alastair Behenna, CIO, Harvey Nash
Graham Benson, IT director, the Web Factory (Play.com)
Paul Broome, IT director, 192.com
Ken Davis, IT director at TV channel Five
Rorie Devine, IT director, Betfair.com
David Lister, CIO, Reuters
Nick Masterson-Jones, IT director, Voca
Jacques Rene, CTO, Airclaims
Richard Steel, head of ICT, London Borough of Newham
Ted Woodhouse, director of IT strategy, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Phil Young, head of IT and operations, Amtrak Express Parcels

Maybe ZDNet is just trying to troll up some web hits?

[%hMa@?b<C]

seems like a load of FUD.

[TravisNewman]

I'm calling shenanigans.

[fuscia]

zd who?

[Jarn]

It's half a year old, btw.

[aysiu]

It's half a year old, btw.

Yeah, merged it with the other thread on this.