What's the main thing keeping Linux behind in market share?

[Sir Elderberry]

Well, if the term "market" share applies for a free OS. But seriously, why do you think Linux is so far behind Windows in the desktop mainstream? I think it's a combination of apathy and bad PR.

Apathy - "My windows machine doesn't do anything *that* bad"

and

Bad PR - I think the public has a few misconceptions about Linux. One is that many don't know it exists. A lot of other people seem to think that because it's free it is less or won't run thier stuff or just doesn't work as well as windows. And then I think a lot of other people just think it's too complex for the standard user.

[EnigmaOne]

Personally, I think it has more to do with the notion that the public gets a 'free' windoze installation with each computer purchase; and the corruption required to make it possible for the equipment manufacturers to force windoze on all but the most saavy equipment purchasers.

Then again, the fact that the American public is more ignorant than at any other time in history, tends to help things along in msft's favor, doesn't it?

[dkeav]

linux is not beat, it never was, its only in recent years even a viable option now, and its not like the race is over

the biggest problem is well people are stupid, if you give them a choice they usually make the wrong one anyways, hence them feeling comfortable in windows the choice is made for them, although as we see it its more of forced upon them

that turd vista is going to bring a lot of people our way though

[leonpmu]

How about three words "Addiction to Microsoft", somehow the minions out there believe that MS is best no matter what, and also some people are locked in by applications, speak to engineers, they would LOVE to move to Linux, but Autocad holds them by the short and curlies...

But Linux is gaining on the desktop, of that there is no doubt...

[Parcival]

I agree with EnigmaOne. If a computer novice came into a shop and half of the computers on display were running some Linux distro, then he would probably pick a Linux computer ("Yes sir, with Linux your chances to ever hit a virus are close to zero."). However, as long as even companies like HP who push Linux keep writing in their print advertisements "HP recommends Microsoft Windows XP", the growth rate of the Linux market share won't increase that much. If I were a user who knows nothing about computers, I'd buy whatever my computer vendor thinks is good for me since I want things to "just work", right?

[je_fro]

In my experience, non-tech people fall into one of two categories:

1. They think GNU/Linux is too hard to use.
2. They view GNU/Linux as some "cheap windows knockoff".

Yeah, I run into lots of morons in daily life....

[mrrangerman43]

How about three words "Addiction to Microsoft", somehow the minions out there believe that MS is best no matter what, and also some people are locked in by applications, speak to engineers, they would LOVE to move to Linux, but Autocad holds them by the short and curlies...

But Linux is gaining on the desktop, of that there is no doubt...

It's funny you say that about Audocad our engineers have to use Catia (that runs on AIX unix) and some other cad program that runs on a SUN system. I guess the big3 don't trust microsoft when it comes to a cad program. The sad thing is, the engineers know how to run the cad program but don't know squat about unix at all.

[mrBen]

I think that it is very difficult to say, mainly because there is no one market - there are a few different markets - at a broad level you have corporate and home, but these have subdivisions (small, medium and enterprise for corporate, and 'basic', 'power' and 'gamer' for home would be some possible examples).

Over time the reasons change. I believe at this point that the single biggest problem is that Microsoft still has, and leverages, a monopoly on preinstalling machines. If Linux came preinstalled (and I mean fully preinstalled, with all the relevant codecs and crap like that), people would treat it like Windows, and I think it would fair much better.

[janne_oksanen]

The only thing keeping Linux out of the market is that is does not have the marketing department or the budget Microsoft has. That is what they are good at; taking over markets with inferior products just by throwing enough money at it.

[xaccessxdeniedx]

Now, right off the bat please don't get me wrong, I love my Linux box so far (Ubuntu distro). For the most part most people, including me grew up on Microsoft and their products so you use what you know. People have no idea of the program crossovers available like Gaim and Open Office. If you ever hope to put a dent in the Windows market you need to hire a major PR firm. I don't remember seeing any commercials, magazine ads or the like in anything except computer or tech mags. The average Joe Schmo doesn't read these things. Also, get more Linux on boxes from the start, like these new up and coming comp companies, when one starts becoming popular it will pull Linux with it. Second, you have to take a que from Bill and ditch the outwardly techie look. Before you used cmd prompts and DOS alot in Windows but now it is still there but pushed to the side a bit and the interface looks all "pretty" for people. It's all about the looks. I saw a few screenshot of Linspire and it looks like it is on the right track GUI wise. I think people will like the added control once they use Linux. The last two things that can be done is *cowers down* Standardize the distros and get more companies hardware Linux friendly. People won't use Linux if they have to buy special hardware to work with it, companies gotta commit to working with the devs. The standardization part is making all the drivers and command functions the same across the board, all distros. No one likes learning 3 or 4 variations on one command just so you can use multiple distros. This is all what MS has and so far Linux is lacking in. If these things got fixed or at least working towards it I have no doubt that Linux could start taking a serious bite out of the Windows market. At the very least you could put Mac OS' in the trash, where they belong.

[rameyd]

One of the big problems with adoption is that there is no one Linux. Everyone knows that Windows in one flavour or another is from Microsoft, but with Linux there are an overwhelming array of choices. Do I migrate from Windows to Red Hat, Suse, Xandros, Linspire...

When I was doing the research in the beginning, I had a real problem selecting one, and while the "try them all approach" is a convenient answer, I have a job, kids, lawn to cut etc. I don't have that kind of time.

I went debian and have been very happy.

My other thought is that the names of the applications are completely ridiculous. I thought the Gimp was a character in Pulp Fiction, not a graphics application. I think that the names range from descriptive and uninspired to absurdly stupid. I have an Omnibook 6000 running Sarge with Xfce. I understand Sarge, but what the hell is Xfce?? Had I not linked to it while looking for something else, I would still not know of it's existance.

These are just my thoughts and are not intended to start a war, but I think that people need to buy brands and products. Until the various Linux distros can create name recognition with the Home Users, Microsoft will still be viewed as the big (only) dog.

Dave

[Parcival]

I disagree with those who say that it PR and advertisements are the reason. Apple does a great job at advertising their products (latest movies (http://www.apple.com/getamac/ads/), quicktime needed), but they still have a very small market share, although they have a superior product.

Advertisement doesn't do any good as long as the average user walks into the average computershop and sees a front of average computers all with Windows preinstalled. In a monopoly, good advertisement gives you only marginal gains.

[IsaacKuo]

Also, the average user sees lots of computer software on the shelves and it all says it works requires Windows. The average user is unaware that Linux is fully functional without buying all that software off-the-shelf.

[clinux]

I don't believe that they are saying "P.R." is the only reason, but is a factor of contribution. I agree with the whole standardizing linux thing, I have tried many different distros and it gets fustrating with the little differences between each distro. With that being said having many different flavors of linux is something that I do like about Linux. Didn't SuSE, Turbo Linux, Connectiva and some other distro's try to make a "Unified Linux" what happened to that?

[MkIII_Supra]

I have been having for 2 years now. And I am not a noob...

CanoScan LiDE 35 2 years and still not working! (http://www.justlinux.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=132879)

There are others that are having issues with hardware that they shouldn't be having as well.

Plus marketing attacks by Microsoft, they have a huge budget that no-one can really compete with and many of their adds are set up to give the illusion of Linux's inferiority.

I have been using Linux since 1999, and for the most part I have been happy with it, BUT it still needs hardware drivers and support. I realize this is not the fault of Linux but until hardware vendors start providing drivers for Linux users, we are stuck with hardware like my scanner issue. For 2 years it's been collecting dust except when I break down and install Windows on a spare system just so I can scan images! Something terribly wrong with this picture!

Anyhow there are more reasons as well, such as the image that Linux users are pimple face punks in their parents basement. And with some of the pro-linux postings I have seen on other message boards... I can understand where this image is very damaging. So long as Linux does not have a professional image, it will be hard pressed to take up rapid adoption.

Next, in countries like the US Windows is the dominate player and controls a lot of influence. So it's easy to keep pressure on Linux and those that are looking to switch. In other nations where American busnesses are not exactly liked, it's easier to kick the Microsoft habit. And with several foreign governments moving to Linux solutions, that will increase adoption overseas. Soon in order to be able to play in the global economy, Microsoft will HAVE to start playing nice and many Americans will realize that they are being left in the dust technology wise.

There are many reasons, no one reason by itself is the single point of failure BUT the aggregate effect of things like hardware issues, lack of software perceptions and negative images and ad attacks, Linux has a huge battle in front of it. It's come a long ways in 7 years. But it still has a long ways to go.

[MkIII_Supra]

Microsoft says Open Source unstable! (http://news.zdnet.com/2100-3513_22-6074237.html?tag=zdfd.newsfeed)

It's things like this that are killing our adoption... amongst other things.

[GliderMike]

To answer the original question, there are many small nuances but I think the bulk of the answer is simple:

Billions of marketing dollars, and current establishment in over 95% of homes and businesses.