More Balls Through Windows

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For years, hope has ebbed' and flowed among many in the(http://www.mythomassabo.net/) computer business that Linux, a freely available computer operating system which uses a penguin2 as its symbol, would become a viable alter-native to Microsoft's Windows, the near universal standard for the world' s personal computers.Within the past month, some of the world's most powerful technology firms have pledged considerable support for Linux on the desktop. Hewlett-Packard (HP), which runs neck-and-neck with Dell as the largest seller of PCs in the world, said it will begin shipping some machines that run on Novell's flavor of the free operating system, called SuSE Linux. And Sun Microsystems, an arch3-rival of Microsoft struck last autumn with several Chinese ministries to ship up to 1m PCs with Sun's Linux package to China this year, rising to "tens of millions in future years," according to Jonathan Schwartz, Sun' s chief operating officer.Is this the beginning of the end for Microsoft' s virtual monopoly on the desktop? Certainly not right away, says Al Gillen, an analyst at IDC, a technology consultancy. Today, almost 94% of all ...
... PCs in the world run on Windows, while slightly more than 3% — mostly in creative industries and universities — use Apple's Macintosh system. Fewer than 3% use Linux. By the end of the decade, Linux's share could grow to 7-10%, reckons Mr Gillen, displacing Macs as the main alternative.They cite several reasons why. First, the quality of Linux — which like other open-source software is developed by a community of volunteers who share their work freely — has been rising steadily. Linux PCs are no longer just for geeks'. Second, Microsoft itself looks temporarily chastened2, if not weak. A series of worms and viruses has wrought3 havoc4 on Windows PCs. Microsoft faced further embarrassment this week when it warned about more security flaws in its software. Meanwhile Linux, which hackers tend not to target, looks safe in comparison. And distrust of Microsoft as a bullying5 monopolist remains- high.The other opportunity lies in poor countries. Unlike rich countries, which have a huge installed base of Windows computers and billions of documents in Microsoft's fiddly6 file formats, most users in Asia and South America are starting with a clean slate. For a country such as China, says Sun's Mr Schwartz, the attraction of open-source software is obvious: it is cheaper, so it will reduce the incentive to get pirated7 software (most copies of Windows in China are fake) and thus help China improve its relations with the World Trade Organization.On the other hand, Linux faces real obstacles. It can still be a nightmare for home users to install and, unless bought as part of a commercial package such as Sun's, it does not come with a help-desk. Worse, there are still too few applications. Fewer than 1% of all computer games, for instance, work on Linux. Software to manage personal finances or organize digital photos is also missing. In theory these programs could all be written but, without a huge increase in users, code-writers will not bother. Sun's, it does not come with a help-desk. Worse, there are still too few applications. Fewer than 1% of all computer games, for instance, work on Linux. Software to manage personal finances or organize digital photos is also missing. In theory these programs could all be written but, without a huge increase in users, code-writers will not bother.( http://www.bestthomasabo.com/)