Will Linux's use in major supercomputers help the desktop users?

[Calixte]

I read this blog post from Amanda McPherson (Vice President of Marketing and Developer Programs at the Linux Foundation) that argues that the overwelming use of Linux on supercomputers will help Linux in general (including regular desktop users) because "the work accomplished by the Super Computer manufacturers (IBM, HP, Fujitsu, Cray and so on) is poured back into the kernel"

Do you agree with her?

PS: I've created a poll on which you can vote here:
http://techhaze.com/2010/06/what-sup...mean-to-linux/

looking forward to reading your opinion

[NightwishFan]

I suppose it does not hurt to have major corporations wanting to back your product.

[alexan]

The today work of a supercomputer, will made tomorrow by your wristwatch. So.. yes, so long there's effectiveness of the GPL licences: the work made on supercomputers will get back to standard linux kernel.

[jflaker]

I read this blog post from Amanda McPherson (Vice President of Marketing and Developer Programs at the Linux Foundation) that argues that the overwelming use of Linux on supercomputers will help Linux in general (including regular desktop users) because "the work accomplished by the Super Computer manufacturers (IBM, HP, Fujitsu, Cray and so on) is poured back into the kernel"

Do you agree with her?

PS: I've created a poll on which you can vote here:
http://techhaze.com/2010/06/what-sup...mean-to-linux/

looking forward to reading your opinion

Linux in supercomputing is the ONLY solution because the OS can be customized to work how it is required.

Having use in a supercomputer means nothing to the average user, Much like explaining the inner workings of a car to the average driver, it has no meaning...all they want to do is turn the key, put it in drive and GO!

[alexan]

Having use in a supercomputer means nothing to the average user, Much like explaining the inner workings of a car to the average driver, it has no meaning...all they want to do is turn the key, put it in drive and GO!

also cluster technology and virtualization also did mean nothing for averange user... until coreduo(quad/i5/i7...) cpu and virtualbox did came out.

[Calixte]

Linux in supercomputing is the ONLY solution because the OS can be customized to work how it is required.

Not really. Although 81% of the top 500 supercomputers run the Linux Kernel, there are still other OS's present such as Unix (still customizable, I admit) or even Windows.
Also, not all supercomputers use a customized OS. the Columbia supercomputer at NASA for example runs Suse Linux Enterprise 9.

[Sporkman]

The today work of a supercomputer, will made tomorrow by your wristwatch.

Will wristwatches exist tomorrow?

[ebasa]

Who know? After all the Space Program gave us Tang and Velcro...

[lostinxlation]

The key to the super computing is how fast it can process the numbers and how efficiently each processors communicate. The former is nowadays achieved by MPP system, but your desktop doesn't have that many processors that required highly sophisticated parallel processing argorithm.. And the latter. the efficiency of communications is crucial if you have many processors, but you don't have a system that needs it. Basically, the market requirement is totally different between super computers and desktops and they don't have much to share.

[jnorthr]

where can i get one of these russian super-computers, my java gui is just too slowwwww.........