This was interesting – and perhaps depressiv:

[Oki]

Hardware.no is a Norwegian site about ... hardware, programs and so on, meaning computere related information. They have around 10 000 visitors every week. Today they posted a list of witch browser people are using, witch OS they are using and so on. And take a look at this list:

Windows XP 86,7 %
Windows 2000 3,4 %
Windows Server 2003 2,2 %
Linux 2,1 %
Windows Vista 1,1 %
Mac OS X 0,9 %
Windows 98 0,3 %
Others/unknown 3,3 %

Only 2,1% Linux users? I guess the user of this site know more about computers then others... And this site also have a lot of knews abut Linux, Ubunut and so on... :confused:

[Brunellus]

Hardware.no is a Norwegian site about ... hardware, programs and so on, meaning computere related information. They have around 10 000 visitors every week. Today they posted a list of witch browser people are using, witch OS they are using and so on. And take a look at this list:

Windows XP 86,7 %
Windows 2000 3,4 %
Windows Server 2003 2,2 %
Linux 2,1 %
Windows Vista 1,1 %
Mac OS X 0,9 %
Windows 98 0,3 %
Others/unknown 3,3 %

Only 2,1% Linux users? I guess the user of this site know more about computers then others... And this site also have a lot of knews abut Linux, Ubunut and so on... :confused:
Probably a realistic picture of what's out there.

Don't automatically assume that people asking about hardware will know more about computers. It is probably the case that they know as much--or less-about computers than the general population, and are logging on to the site to inform their purchasing decisions.

[Tomosaur]

This is probably because Windows comes pre-installed on the vast majority of computers. It's not like people 'choose Windows over linux', they just don't know the difference.

[Johan!]

This is a poll on a Dutch site:
http://tweakers.net/etc/?Action=Poll&ID=713

Windows 85,6% (11786)
Linux 8,9% (1223)
Mac OS 4,2% (581)

[Bloch]

2.1% is a healthy amount of linux user. On other sites figures of less than 1% are reported. I think linux is more popular in Norway than it would be in the UK.

I don't understand why there are only 0.9% OS X users. Is the apple mac very rare in Norway?

I am a webmaster of
www.stingingfly.org
and I too get figures of 3% - 4% Others / unknown operating system
Why is this figure so high? Does anyone know?

[hotbrainz]

This is a poll on a Dutch site:
http://tweakers.net/etc/?Action=Poll&ID=713

Windows 85,6% (11786)
Linux 8,9% (1223)
Mac OS 4,2% (581)
I have come across so many threads and articles where people state numbers to prove superiority of a product ( in this case *******). But think for a minute --- " Ten foolish decisions do not outweigh one smart one "

Numbers mean nothing as long as - you know what you are using, you understand its worth, and most importantly you are satified with it.

Who wants numbers...... Thats my opinion anyway.

[LLRNR]

Who wants numbers......
I've seen it many times - the ones who want numbers are Windows users who have somehow heard of Linux, haven't tried it and say "Just look at how many people use Windows; if it's used worldwide, then it's superior, no doubt about that !!" :???:

LLRNR

[v8YKxgHe]

Has Google ever released their stats for this? IMO Google would be the most accurate as they get millions of hits a day and it's not a specific site.

For example, if Canonical released their stats it would be a much higher Linux percentage and with a Windows support forum it would be a higher Windows percentage. But Google being a non-specific website it should have the most accurate results.

[Johan!]

[...]
Numbers mean nothing as long as - you know what you are using, you understand its worth, and most importantly you are satified with it.

Who wants numbers...... Thats my opinion anyway.

Numbers DO matter (IMHO)
If 100% of the computer users use Windows (or Linux), that operating system has a monopoly.
All applications will work on that system, and will only work on that system. New programs will be developed to work only on that system.
The point: You don't have a choice but to use that operating system and it's programs.

I'd like to choose which operating system I want to use.
I'd also like to choose which programs I want to use.

So if the number of users is equally distributed among all operating systems, software developers will have to make programs for each operating system if they want their product to be used by all users.
That way, you will have a choice what to use.

[hotbrainz]

Numbers DO matter (IMHO)
If 100% of the computer users use Windows (or Linux), that operating system has a monopoly.
All applications will work on that system, and will only work on that system. New programs will be developed to work only on that system.
The point: You don't have a choice but to use that operating system and it's programs.

I'd like to choose which operating system I want to use.
I'd also like to choose which programs I want to use.

So if the number of users is equally distributed among all operating systems, software developers will have to make programs for each operating system if they want their product to be used by all users.
That way, you will have a choice what to use.
Well ya mate... u are right i was being a bit selfish there and think me as an individual and someone trying to question my choice of Linux based on numbers.

But in the broader sense we do need numbers to have more hardware drivers and more software options.

But all said and done...i stick to my earlier stance by saying that numbers are not gonna convince me to change my choices, they will just serve to influence corporate big-wig decisions.

[Oki]

“Is the apple mac very rare in Norway?”
I have not got the impression that Mac are used less in Norway – so no. I am to surprised to see the low numbers of mac users. Ipod is very much used, so you hear a lot of Mac in generally. But you often hear that Windows have like 92% of the marked, but 0,9 % is still low.

“Don't automatically assume that people asking about hardware will know more about computers.”
I do, cus they are visiting a site that are telling very much about Linux, and not only about Windows. Meaning; they have a interests for computers in generally, and this is a site with neutrally information. Take a look at this and see for your self; http://www.hardware.no/search.php?stringQuery=ubuntu

“IMO Google would be the most accurate as they get millions of hits a day and it's not a specific site.”
I agree, that would be very interesting to see. And the number world wide would also in itself be more interesting to se.

“Who wants numbers...... Thats my opinion anyway.”
The numbers are telling us how many people out there that uses Linux. But it is not telling us how good Linux are – dont mix those two. Microsoft browser IE are way behind FF or Opera, but 36,6 % on that site are using it, and I guess even more world wide.

“the ones who want numbers are Windows users who have somehow heard of Linux, “
Well, I dont agree here. This site are only showing witch OS, browser, screen resolution and so on the visitors are using. Nothing wrong in that.

“and I too get figures of 3% - 4% Others / unknown operating system Why is this figure so high? Does anyone know?”
I dont know. But they are saying that the programs that saves the date presented in this article can not se the different between the different Linux distros. So my guess is that the tools you are using are not good enough.

Sorry my bad English..

[LLRNR]

“the ones who want numbers are Windows users who have somehow heard of Linux, “
Well, I dont agree here. This site are only showing witch OS, browser, screen resolution and so on the visitors are using. Nothing wrong in that.


Oki, I apologize for not being clear in what I meant - what I wanted to say was that this is the kind of answers I get in "real life", i.e. when talking with somebody face-to-face. Their answers are based on the assumption that "whoever has the most credits wins" and this is why they dwell in this number-thing, it somehow... comforts them.

LLRNR

[ComplexNumber]

Hardware.no is a Norwegian site about ... hardware, programs and so on, meaning computere related information. They have around 10 000 visitors every week. Today they posted a list of witch browser people are using, witch OS they are using and so on. And take a look at this list:

Windows XP 86,7 %
Windows 2000 3,4 %
Windows Server 2003 2,2 %
Linux 2,1 %
Windows Vista 1,1 %
Mac OS X 0,9 %
Windows 98 0,3 %
Others/unknown 3,3 %

Only 2,1% Linux users? I guess the user of this site know more about computers then others... And this site also have a lot of knews abut Linux, Ubunut and so on... :confused:
linux desktop market share is more like around 5-6%. those figures don't account for computers that duel boot linux and windows, so the windows figures are higher than they actually are and the linux figure is lower than it actualy is.

[Oki]

"don't account for computers that duel boot linux and windows"
Why not, can you pl explain? You mean that if I boot Ubunut Linux and are visiting that site, I will show up as a Windows user since I am dual booting? So that means I am messing up the numbers:-(

And I guess that the Vista numbers will change dramatically in a short while. And if you are wondering why, its cus Microsoft are going to use 500 millioner dollars" on marketing!!! Thats a sick large number!!! (Source -norwegian site; http://www.digi.no/php/art.php?id=359787).

[Eddie Wilson]

What are "others/unknown"? How can that even be possible?
Eddie

[d3v1ant_0n3]

The figures also don't account for (for example) people who are browsing from work on their employer's windows machines, but have Linux at home (and vice versa).

I'm guessing the 'other' stat comes from BSD (maybe) and people with decently stealthing firewalls/proxies? Just a guess tho.

For me, it shouldn't be about 'Which has the most users?', but 'Which does the job I need it for best?'. Which is why I stuck with Ubuntu. It would be great to see an increase in users numbers, which would lead to greater pressure for hardware devs to make linux drivers more readily available, but at the same time, more market share always has the added problem of making the OS a greater threat from malware coders.

[OttifantSir]

I don't understand why there are only 0.9% OS X users. Is the apple mac very rare in Norway?


I am from Norway and although I have been using computers and talking about computers and being around computers in so many different situations for almost 20 years now, I have yet to see an Apple Mac outside of a shop, and that occurrence happened to me almost 12 years ago.

So, why aren't we using them? My thought on the matter is that Norway is a very convoluted country. If you are seen as different in any way, you're practically exiled from community. I know I am. My difference? I like to talk about the technic side of computers, not how to solve the puzzle on the last level of some newly released game that needs a 25 - 30.000NOK ($4 - 5.000) computer to run faster than your grandma with a hip-replacement. I like to tweak the computer to work as fast as possible without needing it to upgrade.

Sorry for the rant at the end.

[Jussi Kukkonen]

I don't understand why there are only 0.9% OS X users. Is the apple mac very rare in Norway?

Think about it for a second... People buy macs so they do not have to think about hardware, and if they absolutely have to read about hardware they'll go to an apple-accessory site.

[FyreBrand]

"don't account for computers that duel boot linux and windows"
Why not, can you pl explain? You mean that if I boot Ubunut Linux and are visiting that site, I will show up as a Windows user since I am dual booting? So that means I am messing up the numbers:-( No. I think what he means that if you are dual booting then when you are in Windows you will show up as a Win user. If you are in Ubuntu you will show up as a Linux user. The OS and browser information sent in the header are specific to which OS and browser you're using at the moment, not what your partition information is.

Right now I'm logged into WinXP, so if this site was tracking browser behaviour I would show up as a Windows user. I'm not really a Win user anymore I'm mostly in KDE, but since I'm supposed to be writing PHP on an IIS server for a class I'm obviously logged into Windows. I'm surely not going to reboot when I take a break. So when I surf around for 20 minutes I will be logged as a Windows user. Does that make more sense? If someone is dual-booting and they happen to be in their Windows partition, then bing, that's how the world sees them for the moment.

I think numbers do matter but also I just don't care anymore about statistics and that crap. Statistics have so many error factors that are rarely if ever taken into account that they just don't mean much to me. So what if those people visiting that hardware site are Windows users? Maybe Windows users can't figure out their hardware problems as easily.

[TLE]

I'm not really that interessted in the present figures. The only thing that interests me is what way we are going. As long as we're moving forward I'm satisfied(Which I actually think we are). Hopefully one day we'll reach like 10-15% and it'll be harder for game manufactorers to ignore us. But untill that glorious day, let's all just keep on pushing.

[PrinceArithon]

Other operating systems?? Oh yes they are so possible. I know someone who made his own, and it works for the Internet only. He made his own graphical browser, it hits the internet, he can read his email if he wishes and that's it. I'm sure there are others out there who made their own OS.

Plus, I believe there are many other OS's out there...at least that is what all of my Network instructors always told me. I never really tried to look into it.