LPH
08-02-2007, 11:06 PM
How many Linuxers are <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/blog/main/archives/2007/08/how_many_people.html">holding their breaths and wondering if the Dell deal is the highlight for Linux sales</a>? Here are a few thoughts.
Approximately ten years ago, Linux was a nice operating system to rejuvenate an older desktop but the system was intentionally <em>cryptic</em> and not user-friendly. Means to cover up the command line exist now but the true power of the OS is getting under the hood. Are people really interested in the command line? Maybe after figuring out the grep command or simply setting up an installation, people keep downloading different distributions in hopes to find the best one for themselves. But do they stick with the OS or just keep downloading?
After setting up an installation, I tend to desire more. And the more I play with the Linux distributions, the more power is desired and older desktops become undesirable for Linux. Does this hold true for everyone?
Maybe Dell's offerings will spur interest in other Linux distributions. After all, live cds can help people try some distributions easily - download - burn - and boot.
Maybe Dell's offerings will spur hardware sales. Will someone purchase a machine and realize more RAM will speed up the processing? Will video card sales increase?
Will Dell's offerings influence the market in the same manner the old Microsoft Windows' upgrades used to influence hardware sales?
Years ago, a Dell Red Hat Linux offering at the Enterprise level was a big deal. Now that consumers are able to get the OS, will a niche market become larger?
Approximately ten years ago, Linux was a nice operating system to rejuvenate an older desktop but the system was intentionally <em>cryptic</em> and not user-friendly. Means to cover up the command line exist now but the true power of the OS is getting under the hood. Are people really interested in the command line? Maybe after figuring out the grep command or simply setting up an installation, people keep downloading different distributions in hopes to find the best one for themselves. But do they stick with the OS or just keep downloading?
After setting up an installation, I tend to desire more. And the more I play with the Linux distributions, the more power is desired and older desktops become undesirable for Linux. Does this hold true for everyone?
Maybe Dell's offerings will spur interest in other Linux distributions. After all, live cds can help people try some distributions easily - download - burn - and boot.
Maybe Dell's offerings will spur hardware sales. Will someone purchase a machine and realize more RAM will speed up the processing? Will video card sales increase?
Will Dell's offerings influence the market in the same manner the old Microsoft Windows' upgrades used to influence hardware sales?
Years ago, a Dell Red Hat Linux offering at the Enterprise level was a big deal. Now that consumers are able to get the OS, will a niche market become larger?