Linux still largely invisible in the marketplace

[Jamon Camisso]

I can't remember where exactly I heard it (some linux radio podcast of 
some sort back in the summer) but the idea of coolness definitely enters 
as one reason that Linux is having a hard time catching on. For a lot of 
people (specifically friends, family, professors) who have upgraded to 
Windows XP, their first response was how cool it seemed comared to 
98/2000. Mac users -- same thing. But apart from being cool within a 
rather closed (or small, whichever you prefer) community i.e. Slackware 
cooler than X distro etc., Linux is not regarded as something cool to 
use or do with your computer.

For people who purchase a computer with Windows XP preinstalled, what 
is/has been done to make Linux cool enough to get them to take notice? 
It seems that this area needs some attention! There has got to be a 
reason to make people take notice, and sadly, apart from the great 
features that we take for granted, I can't imagine many users actually 
caring all that much.

I felt the need to chime in on this, but that's about all -- mostly just 
rambling musings.

Jamon

Rick Tomaschuk wrote:
> Linux is still behind Windows on the desktop. The general public
> perception of computer novices IMHO is still that Windows is the only
> game in town. When I say novices I mean non graphics, non computer
> literate anything. Look at CNN which could be using Macromedia,
> Quicktime, MPG, chooses to use Microsoft. Why? I don't know. Lou Dobbs
> on Moneyline is always shaking his head in favor of the underdog. Some
> perception actually exists that Microsoft is the underdog in the US over
> big business as we used to know it (IBM).
> RickT
> 
> On Thu, 2005-12-08 at 15:37 -0500, Fraser Campbell wrote:
> 
>>Rick Tomaschuk wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I travel a lot through the US and Canada and am frustrated that after
>>>the last 10 years of working to promote Linux (it) is still largely
>>>invisible in the market place especially when compared to the Apple 
>>>and their pirated lookalike copy called Windows produced by the convicted 
>>>monopolist Microsoft.
>>
>>I assume you mean the desktop?
>>
>>On the other, hand Linux has a lot of traction in the server market. 
>> From small businesses to the biggest I believe there are *lots* of 
>>Linux users out there.
>>
>>Let's take over all the servers, the desktops won't be far behind ;-)
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> 
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