Linux Desktop Marketshare Passes 1%!!

[jdeslip]

Hitslink.com just released their april market share stats and linux passed 1% for the first time ever.

See historical plot at my article here: http://www.berkeleylug.com/?p=43

Digg the article here: http://digg.com/linux_unix/Linux_Market_Share_Passes_1

[sakuramboo]

It passed 1% by market research companies. It actually passed 1% a long time ago and is actually around 2-4% for the desktop market. MacOS and Linux have about the same market share. The reason why Linux is so much lower is because not all Linux installs hit all the sites that the researchers monitor.

For example, I have 4 computers, all running Linux. Only 1 of them I use to browse the internet with and another one isn't connected to any network. So, even though I have 4 installs, because only one of them I use to surf the web, I'm counted as having only 1 Linux install.

[bridgman]

Doesn't the same thing probably apply to all the OSes ? The stats don't count Windows or MacOS systems not used for web surfing either.

[deanjo]

Doesn't the same thing probably apply to all the OSes ? The stats don't count Windows or MacOS systems not used for web surfing either.

Ya it does bridgeman but you would be bringing common sense to a linux penetration thread.

[bridgman]

D'oh !!

Sorry about that.

[RealNC]

I don't disagree. It's just that my personal experience results in different market share :D About 20% of my real-life friends use Linux.

Another thing I was thinking about is how many people browse the web from their job? Probably countless (everyone I know does :D). Are those "desktop" PCs? I'd rather count them as workstations.

[deanjo]

Watch that number get pummeled down with Win 7 and OS X 10.6 being released in the near future. The fear of upgrading to it is not nearly as great as it was when Vista came out.

[KDesk]

Here it says that Linux has 2% :)http://www.w3counter.com/globalstats.php

[deanjo]

I don't disagree. It's just that my personal experience results in different market share :D About 20% of my real-life friends use Linux.

Another thing I was thinking about is how many people browse the web from their job? Probably countless (everyone I know does :D). Are those "desktop" PCs? I'd rather count them as workstations.

How many PC's are also blocked at work from connecting to the internet all together? I know of quite a few companies that block any external net access all together.

[bridgman]

I don't disagree. It's just that my personal experience results in different market share :D About 20% of my real-life friends use Linux.

Most of my friends have off-road 4x4s and lots of guns, but I don't think I can generalize that to the rest of the population either :D

[Hephasteus]

Hackintoshes are making HUGE moves in market share. Much much more than any other OS. It's really just a derivative of unix so people are using work done on linux and hacking it up to work with tons of stuff. Ubuntu 9.04 and if Fedora can do a decent Leonidas will take more and more market share. Windows 7 is all hype and sunshine right now. It'll canabilize XP at maybe higher rates than OSx and linux but it'll still be canabilization. Doubt it can beat the march to OSX though. The recession will make large moves in windows market to free software and the more free software people have under windows the more groundwork is layed for people to jump ship.

Microsoft just does not have the resources to secure an OS. Compare microsfts dozen guys looking at security loopholes to the thousands of eyes and thousands of minds under linux and it becomes clear that security will keep driving more and more people to linux.

[deanjo]

Hackintoshes are making HUGE moves in market share. Much much more than any other OS. It's really just a derivative of unix so people are using work done on linux and hacking it up to work with tons of stuff. Ubuntu 9.04 and if Fedora can do a decent Leonidas will take more and more market share. Windows 7 is all hype and sunshine right now. It'll canabilize XP at maybe higher rates than OSx and linux but it'll still be canabilization. Doubt it can beat the march to OSX though. The recession will make large moves in windows market to free software and the more free software people have under windows the more groundwork is layed for people to jump ship.

Microsoft just does not have the resources to secure an OS. Compare microsfts dozen guys looking at security loopholes to the thousands of eyes and thousands of minds under linux and it becomes clear that security will keep driving more and more people to linux.

Don't forget the HUGE number of machines that can't get through the great firewalls of China and the likes where Windows piracy runs rampant.

[kraftman]

Watch that number get pummeled down with Win 7 and OS X 10.6 being released in the near future. The fear of upgrading to it is not nearly as great as it was when Vista came out.

Yeah, there's huge marketing bull about them and many users will switch for a different wallpaper. It was harder to convince them they need vista, but... It's possible that number will rise when those two marketing children arrive.

[L33F3R]

the linux share wont be largely affected. I dont know of many people who have switched to windows or mac because they release a new OS.

[kraftman]

the linux share wont be largely affected. I dont know of many people who have switched to windows or mac because they release a new OS.

Yeah and I know people who did opposite :>

[deanjo]

the linux share wont be largely affected. I dont know of many people who have switched to windows or mac because they release a new OS.

People often holding off purchases of new machines until a soon to be released OS is out. If history serves as any indicator Win 7 will be a big release for MS. 95 vs 98 , 2k vs XP and Vista Vs Win 7.

[L33F3R]

have u tried win 7? I lasted 4 days, hardly used it and my sound all messed up. The video drivers are rigged to give crap OGL performance. I get the feeling of a fresh KDE install. Seems they have not only copied mac but they have moved on to copying open source stuff. Examples i cant provide as i used it for 4 days some many moons ago.

Reminds me of what i have heard on the radio this morning. Yesterday "edge" made der intern eat dog food. Today virgin radio was to make der intern do the same thing. Virgin radio copies alot of what the edge does and loses alot of its listener base because of it. It happened with Vista/Mac and i can see it happening here :rolleyes:.

Its windows vista with an updated toolbar and very minor cosmetic changes. They have simply made the code for it what it was supposed to be 3 years ago. Mind you i found the toolbar to be very very very buggy. Sound system worked worse then vista.

Microshaft has the world against them right now. They have angry vista customers. A garbage economy and very very bad programmers (notes back to the great winsock leak).

If anything MS will not gain any ground as most MS users will stick with MS. Some may look for alternatives. As far as market share goes however linux will slowly grow as windows users get fed up, same goes for mac. MS will make back what they paid in development costs and little more.

Amen

[Hephasteus]

Don't forget the HUGE number of machines that can't get through the great firewalls of China and the likes where Windows piracy runs rampant.

I don't know why they don't make more headway with Red Flag Linux. It's a nice linux with nicely copied windows XP interface. You don't ever hear or see much of what is going on with china. But people all over rest of asia are hackintosh nuts right now. They've pumped OS/X website hits from 7 percent to over 11 percent.

I wish GNU's hurd was further along because it's looking like linux will have to turn more into a microkernel system like OSX while OSX has been evolving into a more complete OS. Me thinks everything will always meet in the middle like that.

Governments always tax too much. Corporations always price too high in any situation. It's the way they fake being caring cooperative and reasonable but remain being facist and hard assed. The amount of cooperation they get in this mode determines how much force be it military or financial or judicial they need to use to control everything.

But the bottom line is it doesn't matter who runs what or why. Oh I know who cares. The people who want to pretend that the world can't live without them and everyone is in fact drinking their coolaide it's just that not everyone is paying the price. blah blah blah.
Linux is small when it's being statistically diminished for marketing reasons. It's huge when it's being competed against. etc etc. Polish the fun house mirrors. Nothing is actual size any more.

[deanjo]

have u tried win 7? I lasted 4 days, hardly used it and my sound all messed up. The video drivers are rigged to give crap OGL performance. I get the feeling of a fresh KDE install. Seems they have not only copied mac but they have moved on to copying open source stuff. Examples i cant provide as i used it for 4 days some many moons ago.

Reminds me of what i have heard on the radio this morning. Yesterday "edge" made der intern eat dog food. Today virgin radio was to make der intern do the same thing. Virgin radio copies alot of what the edge does and loses alot of its listener base because of it. It happened with Vista/Mac and i can see it happening here :rolleyes:.

Its windows vista with an updated toolbar and very minor cosmetic changes. They have simply made the code for it what it was supposed to be 3 years ago. Mind you i found the toolbar to be very very very buggy. Sound system worked worse then vista.

Microshaft has the world against them right now. They have angry vista customers. A garbage economy and very very bad programmers (notes back to the great winsock leak).

If anything MS will not gain any ground as most MS users will stick with MS. Some may look for alternatives. As far as market share goes however linux will slowly grow as windows users get fed up, same goes for mac. MS will make back what they paid in development costs and little more.

Amen

Actually yes I have tried it. Currently on many workstations at work of various configs. As a whole things went really smooth.

[Aradreth]

I don't know why they don't make more headway with Red Flag Linux. It's a nice linux with nicely copied windows XP interface.
http://www.theinternetpatrol.com/china-forces-own-operating-system-on-chinese-internet-cafes-red-flag-linux-raises-red-flag-with-privacy-groups/ doesn't give linux the best impression now does it?

[L33F3R]

I don't know why they don't make more headway with Red Flag Linux. It's a nice linux with nicely copied windows XP interface. You don't ever hear or see much of what is going on with china. But people all over rest of asia are hackintosh nuts right now. They've pumped OS/X website hits from 7 percent to over 11 percent.

I wish GNU's hurd was further along because it's looking like linux will have to turn more into a microkernel system like OSX while OSX has been evolving into a more complete OS. Me thinks everything will always meet in the middle like that.

Im fairly sure that china is a hackintosh nut country right now. They make fake ipods front right and center, take a look at the Iorange or w.e its called. Hell they have a page telling you how to spot a fake fake from the real fake. Or have a look at the notebooks with windows XP but look an awful lot like macbooks. These items are obviously not for western consumption as few would buy a laggy ipod touch fake. Whats the point? People in china and the rest of asia (excluding South Korea, Japan, Singapore ect.) cannot afford apple products. A real mac is to them as a Ferrari is to us. The prospect appeals very well to have a half price computer that runs OSX.

Oh and dont get me started on the Vii


Governments always tax too much. Corporations always price too high in any situation. It's the way they fake being caring cooperative and reasonable but remain being facist and hard assed. The amount of cooperation they get in this mode determines how much force be it military or financial or judicial they need to use to control everything.

But the bottom line is it doesn't matter who runs what or why. Oh I know who cares. The people who want to pretend that the world can't live without them and everyone is in fact drinking their coolaide it's just that not everyone is paying the price. blah blah blah.
Linux is small when it's being statistically diminished for marketing reasons. It's huge when it's being competed against. etc etc. Polish the fun house mirrors. Nothing is actual size any more.

What the hell are you getting at. Perhaps its because im intoxicated but that made little to no sense to me. Are u spiking corporate America or the Linux market share?

Actually yes I have tried it. Currently on many workstations at work of various configs. As a whole things went really smooth.

congrats. But people said similar things before vista was actually released so lets wait for the results. Its hard to set the standard of something thats not out yet I suppose. Best we wait and see what the final product says to the end user.;)

http://www.theinternetpatrol.com/china-forces-own-operating-system-on-chinese-internet-cafes-red-flag-linux-raises-red-flag-with-privacy-groups/ doesn't give linux the best impression now does it?

Many Chinese people are often very nice. Heck I once had a Chinese girlfriend (that was born in china). But as it stands China as a country is red. Its generals threaten the west and they violate human rights. I dont think people outside of china will look negatively on Linux for the actions of the Chinese government.

What I find amusing is that China doesn't grant its citizens very much freedom and they infact use an operating system thats licensed under the principals of Freedom.

HA! a quiz for everyone! Should an oppressive government be entitled to use free software or just its citizens :p I suppose free software is for everyone but this is a morality question :p

[Hephasteus]

I'm going to have to call slanted view on that red flag linux article. I read a similar article stating that the license is lifetime and they are asking them to pay 500 yuan not 5000 yuan for 2 years of support and they are not forcing people to install the operating system they are simply forcing them to buy the 2 years of support. Red flag is simply trying to adopt red hat's business model in china maybe with a bit more judicial and military force than red hat uses. Though I've never known anyone who was late with a red hat support payment that is still alive. :D
I wonder how much they will complain when linux gets multiseat and they can add another person to a box just by buying another video card keyboard and monitor and mouse.

But judging from reviews on the latest release it looks like they are barely able to translate it, compile it and keep up with the juggernaught of code generation that has become the linux upstream monster.

Have to totally agree with you on windows 7. Microsoft is like the really good con artist girl that acts nice for a while and then starts stealing money out of your wallet and doing coke in the bathroom. They only advertise when they are releasing. So you see all these stupid ad's as they grease up palms.

[curaga]

Hmmm... Even if the article is true, it's the difference of being spied by Microsoft or the Chinese government. Or in both cases, the cafe owners can have a look too.

Seriously, nobody ever considers public net access to be safe. So why jump and shout when there's one more possibility that it isn't safe.

[jdeslip]

When I posted this article, I did not mean it to be a downer. We can argue about the exact linux number (does this site not include europe, include people with user agents etc) all we want. The important thing to note is the trend. Up over 300% in just a couple years. From 2005 to 2007 it was relatively flat... and then things really began to pick up for desktop linux. I hope things continue.

[deanjo]

Well just to put RedFlag into perspective. According to it's own site it's been downloaded a whopping 1115 times. Now given the estimated population of China being around the 1.3 billion mark..... (PS I account for 2 of those downloads :P)

[jdeslip]

LOL. Do they really only measure ~1000 downloads. Do they just decide to count 1 of every 1000 hits?? I could put anything on the web and get more downloads than that.

[deanjo]

LOL. Do they really only measure ~1000 downloads. Do they just decide to count 1 of every 1000 hits?? I could put anything on the web and get more downloads than that.

Yup, I had to check it out for my self so I downloaded it twice and yup, it went from 1113 to 1115 :rolleyes:

Check it out for yourself, click, start downloading the iso and then refresh the page.

http://www.redflag-linux.com/en/download_end.php?class1=6&class2=1&id=43

[L33F3R]

Yup, I had to check it out for my self so I downloaded it twice and yup, it went from 1113 to 1115 :rolleyes:

Check it out for yourself, click, start downloading the iso and then refresh the page.

http://www.redflag-linux.com/en/download_end.php?class1=6&class2=1&id=43

lol good call :D . It was a good laugh till i noticed i had wet myself as a result :(.

[bridgman]

Maybe 1100 downloads from the English-language page and 2 billion downloads from the Chinese-language page we can't read ?

[deanjo]

Maybe 1100 downloads from the English-language page and 2 billion downloads from the Chinese-language page we can't read ?

268615 downloads on the Chinese page for the latest version. (Should actually say 268615 downloads started. Doesn't account for the number of retries as the counters count the download clicks.)

[L33F3R]

268615 downloads on the Chinese page for the latest version. (Should actually say 268615 downloads started. Doesn't account for the number of retries as the counters count the download clicks.)

ughh thats true they check both chinese and english sites independently :(. I retract my accident.

[deanjo]

ughh thats true they check both chinese and english sites independently :(. I retract my accident.

Still with China having a estimated 122 personal computers per 1000 people that would still leave Red Flag with roughly ~.17 percent market penetration. (Keep in mind again that the total downloads are counted by clicks and some of those no doubt are from people outside of China.)