Puzzle solved: Linux has 17 million desktop users

[santq]

According to Wikipedia there are 1.67 billion internet users (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Internet_usage) worldwide and 1.03% use Linux (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_operating_systems) to access the internet. For simplicity's sake, let's ignore all the hillbilly non internet users.

1 670 million * 0.0103 = 17.201 million linux users!

To make sure we are not way of..

New York Times reports (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu_(operating_system)#Reception) Ubuntu has 13 million users, presuming everybody access internet with Ubuntu, that would mean 75% of Linux users use Ubuntu. That number is probably a bit too high, so either Linux has more users or Ubuntu has less (internet accessing) users.

This is just approximation, but "at least 17 million" is still a grand number. In celebration here's an adorable lynx:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apNtZtqhmO8

[derekeverett]

I often wonder about how these stats are gathered...

I dual boot. I think most of us do. So is that a check for both Ubuntu and Windows?

What about virtual machines? I have often ran a VM on a mac with both XP and Ubuntu. Is that a vote for all 3 OS's?

I find stats somewhat interesting too.. but I'd like to know what counts as a "user".

They calculate by number of users downloading updates maybe?

[ssam]

if you wanto make sure you are counted:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuPopularityContest
http://counter.li.org/

[inobe]

why is it so important when it shouldn't be ?

why count us when we weren't meant to be counted ?

what would be it's purpose ?

all through our lives using computers we are tagged and finally aren't anymore' however people are asking for it !

[derekeverett]

why is it so important when it shouldn't be ?

why count us when we weren't meant to be counted ?

what would be it's purpose ?

all through our lives using computers we are tagged and finally aren't anymore' however people are asking for it !

Nobody said it's important.. just interesting sometimes. Not everything needs/has a purpose.

That's my two cents. Not that it's important or has any purpose.

[rottentree]

why is it so important when it shouldn't be ?

why count us when we weren't meant to be counted ?

what would be it's purpose ?

all through our lives using computers we are tagged and finally aren't anymore' however people are asking for it !

Maybe manufacturers are interested.

[t0p]

Microsoft and Apple want to know the numbers, because they want to gauge how they are doing in relation to the competition. And of course, Linux companies like Red Hat and Canonical, and other distro groups like Debian, want to know for the same reasons.

Computer manufacturers want to know, so they can decide if it's worth their while to sell machines with Linux installed. They all want to make money, and if they think a Linux-loaded computer would sell well, they'd do one.

Various geeks want to know. Linux geeks, because they can then brag how popular (or unpopular/"cult") their fave OS is. And fans of Windows and Mac also want to know, so they can laugh at Linux and its pitiful market penetration.

And, even though I don't really care how many people use Linux, I still kinda want to know. Just curiosity. What is a geek without curiosity? Nothing.

As for how these people count us: it depends. If you have an interest in making Linux look really popular, you'll claim that each download of a distro equals one more user. Some people look at user-agents reported by browsers. Some people use opinion polls. If you want to make Linux look pitiful, you'll carry out a survey in Redmond, or look at user-agent of browsers visiting microsoft.com or something.

What's the best way to find out the true numbers of Linux users? Go out and count them, and put a ring round the ankle of each one counted, like ornithologists do when they're counting swans.

[saulgoode]

To make sure we are not way of..

New York Times reports (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu_(operating_system)#Reception) Ubuntu has 13 million users, presuming everybody access internet with Ubuntu, that would mean 75% of Linux users use Ubuntu. That number is probably a bit too high, so either Linux has more users or Ubuntu has less (internet accessing) users.

The same Wikipedia page suggests that 32% of the 35 million netbooks shipped in 2009 were Linux-based. So not only are 75% of Linux users running Ubuntu, but more than half of Ubuntu users must be using netbooks.


Unless we are somehow "way of" :)

[gymophett]

The numbers will never be correct.

I'm still betting it has more than 1%.

[JDShu]

I like the marketshare reported by wikimedia. Which in this case is 1.54%. Everyone uses wikipedia :P

[ssam]

I like the marketshare reported by wikimedia. Which in this case is 1.54%. Everyone uses wikipedia :P

i use encarta

[cprofitt]

I have seen Linux estimates at as high as 4.53%

[vistamacbuntu]

Would be nice to see a breakdown by country too. I wonder how Linux usage would vary based on economic differences.

I would hypothesize that developing countries have a higher propensity to use Linux as it is Free (beer).

[gymophett]

I actually know more people who run Linux than Mac.

[madjr]

I actually know more people who run Linux than Mac.

me too, but i dont live in the states and people here cant afford macs

[whiskeylover]

I actually know more people who run Linux than Mac.

In my household 50% use Windows and 50% use Linux. So, obviously these statistics must apply globally.

: )

[gymophett]

In my household 50% use Windows and 50% use Linux. So, obviously these statistics must apply globally.

: )

Hehe.

[Queue29]

I have seen Linux estimates at as high as 4.53%

Did you know that 67.4% of statistics are made up?

[t0p]

In my household 50% use Windows and 50% use Linux. So, obviously these statistics must apply globally.

: )

In my household, 100% use Linux with a side order of virtual Windows. So obviously, these statistics must apply globally too.

Do my figures match up with yours? They do sort of match. QED they are correct.

[Chame_Wizard]

1670 Million users connected on the INTERNET is not the same as desktop users.:lol:

[santq]

Did you know that 67.4% of statistics are made up?

Yeah, you should always be skeptical about statistics. The Wikipedia's 1% is combination of multiple sources, so it's more plausible than single source. I'd love to see that number being bigger but wishful thinking has no place when seeking for the truth.


I dual boot. I think most of us do. So is that a check for both Ubuntu and Windows?

Using some basic math, let's say there are 100 people who use Linux 50% of the time. When they are counted, there's a 50% change they are registered as Linux user, so the end result is total of ~50 Linux users (the fluctuations are evened out when the numbers get bigger). So in a way, they are counted only as half Linux user.

[Chame_Wizard]

I largely blame M$ for it ........and our selves a little bit.:popcorn: