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So 2009 is here at last, and not a moment too soon! Finally we can put another Holiday Season behind us and get back to work. Some of us, of course, are still recovering from the seasonal merriment; others are still pondering gifts they received. To wit: On Digg, Rekzai earned more than 3,340 Diggs and 345 comments for posting a photograph titled, "I like Linux, so my aunt sends me this for Christmas!" No shortage of penguins in that thoughtful assortment -- lucky geek, that Rekzai!
According to IDC surveys GNU/Linux was at that level on the desktop back when it passed APPLE. The current NetApplications numbers grossly underestimate GNU/Linux and overestimate MacOS because it samples buddies of NetApplications who are not representative of the world in their clients. One can verify this by looking at Apple's published reports to the SEC. Apple makes a bit more than 3% of the world's PCs, not 8%. Assuming the number for that other OS is accurate or an overestimate at 90%, the difference is GNU/Linux = 100% - 90% -3% = 7%. I expect 90% for that other OS in NetApplications' back yard should really be about 80% in the world, judging by web stats from places like brazil. Search Google for webalizer November 2008 site:.br and you can see numbers up to 20% for GNU/Linux. Unfortunately, a lot of the published webalizer data is from less popular sites/porn etc. and they cut off at the top 10-15 browser strings. That automatically shows only that other OS because M$ has produced so many versions currently in use.
So, 3% in 2010 may be a valid goal for some parts of the world, but not likely in emerging markets like BRIC where growth will be high for several years more while NetApplications back yard is stagnant. I believe GNU/Linux is well over 10% these days, thanks to the netbooks and ASUS motherboards that boot up GNU/Linux in seconds.
see http://www.buhgalte.ru/webalizer/usage_200811.html#TOPREFS
It is not clear what these webstats show about GNU/Linux but it is clear that Apple is under the radar in much of the world, so my argument stands unless there is some reason to believe that, in the absence of Apple, most will choose that other OS. In much of the world, price does matter so lowest cost of GNU/Linux systems works.
So, 3% in 2010 may be a valid goal for some parts of the world, but not likely in emerging markets like BRIC where growth will be high for several years more while NetApplications back yard is stagnant. I believe GNU/Linux is well over 10% these days, thanks to the netbooks and ASUS motherboards that boot up GNU/Linux in seconds.
see http://www.buhgalte.ru/webalizer/usage_200811.html#TOPREFS
It is not clear what these webstats show about GNU/Linux but it is clear that Apple is under the radar in much of the world, so my argument stands unless there is some reason to believe that, in the absence of Apple, most will choose that other OS. In much of the world, price does matter so lowest cost of GNU/Linux systems works.
