[Slightly OT] Re: Ranter or evangelist?

[Mikkel L. Ellertson]

gilpel at altern.org wrote:
> Peter Gordon wrote:
> 
>> On Wed, 2009-07-22 at 11:33 +0500, gilpel at altern.org wrote:
>>> Microsoft has 90% of market share, Linux only 1% and people at Microsoft
>>> certainly are very glad. So, why should we be sad? Wouldn't this be
>>> giving Microsoft an edge in gladness?
>> First of all, Linux market share is a very difficult number to predict,
>> but is fairly significant and nearly always underestimated.
> 
> The only way to estimate the marketshare of Linux is reading the headers
> of people who connect to servers. That's what hitslink does... or claims
> to do, since I never could find out which servers are surveyed. But, to
> me, living in Canada, 1% seems more than what I see around.
> 
Even that is not a sure measure. How many people are using user
agent switchers to fool sites about what browser they are using?

> At LinuxCounter, Canada ranks 42nd, in the user/population list(1), but I
> believe that Antartica ranking first makes much more sense. I know some
> people in Canada who installed Linux, ran to LinuxCounter, never used it
> and have boasted being part of the happy few ever since :) This list means
> absolutely nothing.
> 
> (1) http://counter.li.org/reports/arearank.php
> 
> Is Wikipedia biaised too?
> 
It depends on who does the editing. On some topics, it is extremely
biased. On others there is almost no bias.

> "Estimates for the desktop market share of Linux range from less than one
> percent to almost two percent. In comparison, Microsoft operating systems
> hold more than 90%."
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux
> 
> So, let's say that, at he very best. it's a 45:1 ratio which, after 18
> years, can't be evaluated otherwise than as a real problem.
> 
Why? Linux has targeted the server market. It has not been in the
desktop market that long. All things considered, I am surprised that
 it is doing as well as it is in the desktop market.

Mikkel
-- 

  Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,
for thou art crunchy and taste good with Ketchup!

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