[H]omer <spam@xxxxxxx> espoused:
> Verily I say unto thee, that Roy Schestowitz spake thusly:
>
>> I don't know if you saw the link at the bottom of the OP, but Dell
>> won't disclose numbers. They did, however, say they are pleased with
>> the numbers and immediately afterwards, two more models were
>> introduced with Linux options.
>
> Actions speak louder than words. Dell would not ramp up their Ubuntu
> range unless it was popular. They were taken off guard by the huge
> demand for Linux on IdeaStorm, then they finally caved in and produced
> Ubuntu machines, but made comments like "we're not anticipating huge
> sales" (paraphrased), but then they've been taken off guard *again* by
> (presumably) unexpectedly high sales, and have had to ramp up production
> again. IOW the demand for Linux has been proved, and proved again, much
> to the chagrin of its detractors.
>
As per the email in another chain, I think we're seeing more and more of
the network effect here. Most people who use computers seem to have
heard of Linux now, and free software is no longer being referred to
with contempt, as it used to be. I think that the vast majority of FUD
with respect to Copyright, Patent, Support, Quality, Reliability and
Compatibility has been dealt with, and I believe that we're entering a
new phase of the game.
Ubuntu is clearly cracking the desktop problem, as it is sufficiently
easy to use that it's being adopted in huge numbers. I'm still not
entirely sure what it is the Ubuntu guys have done, and it might even be
mainly down to good marketing, but there is no doubt that they have
smoothed the rough edges from debian, creating something which is
clearly grabbing the attention of the computing press as well as CIO
departments all over the world.
The major success of Apache in seeing off the full might of Microsoft
has been stunning, indeed, I think that most people have missed the
significance of this. Consider that Apache is a typical open-source
project, with no advertising or marketing budget, and yet has managed to
grab and maintain a 70% market share in spite of everything the world's
richest software company has thrown at it.
The rapid growth of Linux devices is the next wave, and I think that
most CIO people are looking at the growth of Linux in the server space,
the growth in the device space, and probably getting concerned that if
they don't get it onto the desktops, they'll find themselves out of a
job, replaced by those who /will/ put it on the desktop, in the same way
that the Microsoft guys put the DEC All-in-one folk out of jobs all
those years ago.
Much the same applies to Asterisk in the small PBX space, too.
I also think that MythTV has the potential to become a massive success
for someone, it's just waiting for the right investors and the right
drivers to push it forward.
--
| Mark Kent -- mark at ellandroad dot demon dot co dot uk |
| Cola faq: http://www.faqs.org/faqs/linux/advocacy/faq-and-primer/ |
| Cola trolls: http://colatrolls.blogspot.com/ |
| My (new) blog: http://www.thereisnomagic.org |
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