Nice eWeek article

[fatality_uk]

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Linux-and-Open-Source/Ubuntu-804-Is-Ready-to-Take-On-Windows/

[phaed]

They've been saying that Ubuntu/Linux is ready to challenge Windows ever since I started using Ubuntu in 2005. Even if Ubuntu/Linux can match Windows on technical issues like functionality and easy of use, we face strong psychological inertia.

1) People tend to stick with certain brands that they are comfortable with, even if they know there are better brands.

2) Computers are complicated, and people don't want to retrain after 5, 10, 15 years of using Windows.

Everybody that went to high school or college learned to use Windows and Microsoft Word, and that's what you're expected to know how to use when you get a job. It would be costly to retrain everyone.

Also, the people who run companies tend to be older and the slowest to adopt new technologies... There might be interest in Linux among college kids, but their bosses will still want them to use Windows.

[teet]

Everybody that went to high school or college learned to use Windows and Microsoft Word, and that's what you're expected to know how to use when you get a job. It would be costly to retrain everyone.

I agree with what you're saying in general...but have you seen the latest openoffice.org 3 beta? It looks almost identical to office 2003. I don't think it would take a whole lot of training to switch the majority of people over. Also, office 2003 runs pretty darn well under wine or crossover linux now.

-teet

[hkgonra]

Actually all the schools in my area are Mac exclusive.

[Polygon]

Actually all the schools in my area are Mac exclusive.

my school district is also mac exclusive, mostly becuase they dont want to deal with windows but they need progrmas such as word, photoshop, and some other photo/movie editing programs

[SuperSon!c]

I agree with what you're saying in general...but have you seen the latest openoffice.org 3 beta? It looks almost identical to office 2003. I don't think it would take a whole lot of training to switch the majority of people over. Also, office 2003 runs pretty darn well under wine or crossover linux now.

-teet

the problem is getting big corporations to switch. most likely not going to happen.

[fatality_uk]

They've been saying that Ubuntu/Linux is ready to challenge Windows ever since I started using Ubuntu in 2005. Even if Ubuntu/Linux can match Windows on technical issues like functionality and easy of use, we face strong psychological inertia.

1) People tend to stick with certain brands that they are comfortable with, even if they know there are better brands.

2) Computers are complicated, and people don't want to retrain after 5, 10, 15 years of using Windows.

Everybody that went to high school or college learned to use Windows and Microsoft Word, and that's what you're expected to know how to use when you get a job. It would be costly to retrain everyone.

Also, the people who run companies tend to be older and the slowest to adopt new technologies... There might be interest in Linux among college kids, but their bosses will still want them to use Windows.

All been said before, and I agree with some of it.

Also, the people who run companies tend to be older and the slowest to adopt new technologies That's not because they are old :) Businesses have to validate that a new operating system will perform all the tasks that the old one did and often do it better.

I think the focus on "BIG" business is wrong. SME's are the place where Linux is winning. I know, I work for one and am advising a few other local companies about Linux.


Computers are complicated, and people don't want to retrain after 5, 10, 15 years of using Windows. People get re-trained all the time. I never see that as an issue. Think how many times over a 5 year period that a company introduces new systems, new procedures. All need re-training to some extent.

I know people have been banging on about "The year of the Linux desktop" for a while, expecting a mass migration. The fact is that Linux share wil increase gradually and in business terms, it's going to start with SME's.