Linux becomes mature and achieves excellence

[smoker]

In 2006, in the domestic market, seven million computers in the domestic market were signed up for pre-installation of Linux, making up 35 percent of the computers in the Chinese market.
http://english.people.com.cn/200706/25/eng20070625_387493.html#9566721867012069773

it seems that in China, anyway, Linux is being taken more and more seriously. if only 35% of computers sold in the UK had pre-installed Linux. Maybe it will happen soon:D

[orange2k]

Yeah but 99% of those people buying them install pirated windows immidiatelly afterwords...

[DoctorMO]

two factors: the chinese government knows open source is the only way to jump start the local IT industry and some people buy linux machines and install illigal windows over them (about 35%).

Compare that to the British government where they still see open source as communist, and that it must compete as a business (even when it's not a business) or worse that only the private sector can use it. it's pathetic because they see only the use and not the way in which it effects the local industry by encouraging more locally and better paid IT jobs.

[samjh]

Unless the world economy wants to be ruled by communist China, everyone had better wake up to the fact that Linux IS IMPORTANT.

Of course I'm preaching to the choir, as the saying goes. But it's frustrating to see that the majority of businesses around my locality simply do not even consider Linux or even an open Unix-based platform for their IT infrastructure.

[wth_china]

Yeah but 99% of those people buying them install pirated windows immidiatelly afterwords...
Yes,we buy computer without Windows or any other software.I will install them by myself.

[seshomaru samma]

I live in China and I only met one person who even heard of Linux (and he works for IBM)
Most computer shops will install a pirated tweaked XP for you so even if the box is sold with Linux the user will never even get to see it.
Their tweaked XP/ Vista versions include the latest Photoshop, latest Office, a Chinese browser (IE based) and all sort of software , non of it open source. The availability of pirated software in ridiculous prices leads to everyone using Microsoft and Adobe programmes exclusively. Some big Chinese companies are using open source (like baidu.com) but the average user never heard of Linux or even Firefox.
These people can buy Photoshop and Illustrator for 1US$ (in fact it is almost impossible to find a legal copy) ,it's not surprising that they never heard of the gimp....

[karellen]

I live in China and I only met one person who even heard of Linux (and he works for IBM)
Most computer shops will install a pirated tweaked XP for you so even if the box is sold with Linux the user will never even get to see it.
Their tweaked XP/ Vista versions include the latest Photoshop, latest Office, a Chinese browser (IE based) and all sort of software , non of it open source. The availability of pirated software in ridiculous prices leads to everyone using Microsoft and Adobe programmes exclusively. Some big Chinese companies are using open source (like baidu.com) but the average user never heard of Linux or even Firefox.
These people can buy Photoshop and Illustrator for 1US$ (in fact it is almost impossible to find a legal copy) ,it's not surprising that they never heard of the gimp....

here in Romania the situation is almost the same: only those who buy a new computer get a legal version of windows on them (and not always as you can choose to buy a new pc without an os installed). the rest simply install a pirated version on their machines whenever they need to. same for photoshop/office and others (especially games). very few people actually use linux. I know only 3 besides me, and I happened to meet enough people to have a documented opinion about this matter

[DoctorMO]

It reminds me of the culture in the UK; my uncle pirates software all the time, and for him he sees no value in open source.

See there is no way I can respect pirates, not when FOSS exists. there is no reason what so ever to use a prirated version of software. and as a programmer I find it insulting to my profession.

[karellen]

It reminds me of the culture in the UK; my uncle pirates software all the time, and for him he sees no value in open source.

See there is no way I can respect pirates, not when FOSS exists. there is no reason what so ever to use a prirated version of software. and as a programmer I find it insulting to my profession.

totally agree with this. what I can't understand is why people pirate programs like photoshop because they need something to crop/resize/remove red-eyes from their vacation pictures, when there are plenty of free (even if not open-sourced) programs in windows that do their job very well - I could mention here Paint.NET (or even picasa for basic photo manipulation). or they pirate ms office to write some simple docs (which could be written perfectly well in abiword or openoffice)...I mean I am all aware there are a bunch of pros who use all the features photoshop/dreamweaver/office have, but the rest 80% do it just because it's easy, cozy and they don't want to try something else. which I find inexcusable

[KIAaze]

totally agree with this. what I can't understand is why people pirate programs like photoshop because they need something to crop/resize/remove red-eyes from their vacation pictures, when there are plenty of free (even if not open-sourced) programs in windows that do their job very well - I could mention here Paint.NET (or even picasa for basic photo manipulation). or they pirate ms office to write some simple docs (which could be written perfectly well in abiword or openoffice)...I mean I am all aware there are a bunch of pros who use all the features photoshop/dreamweaver/office have, but the rest 80% do it just because it's easy, cozy and they don't want to try something else. which I find inexcusable

Or it's because they don't know about the alternatives.
Before moving to GNU/Linux, and before even hearing of Free software, I used a lot of cracked software too. (most of which I got from friends)
I only discovered all the alternatives later, the first one being of course Firefox.

It's not only the Free alternatives that are not known. Sometimes it's even the freeware and sharewares available.
I mean I used the heavy Nero (cracked) to burn CDs, while there are much lighter freeware CD burners doing the job quite well!
All this, just because that's what my friends used.

[karellen]

Or it's because they don't know about the alternatives.
Before moving to GNU/Linux, and before even hearing of Free software, I used a lot of cracked software too. (most of which I got from friends)
I only discovered all the alternatives later, the first one being of course Firefox.

It's not only the Free alternatives that are not known. Sometimes it's even the freeware and sharewares available.
I mean I used the heavy Nero (cracked) to burn CDs, while there are much lighter freeware CD burners doing the job quite well!
All this, just because that's what my friends used.

I know. the majority "dictatorship"...;)