The myth of 1% Linux market share.

[Ken Heard]

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In reference to recent chatter on the list about Linux market share, my
own view is that that share is -- perhaps willfully in some quarters --
underestimated.  The major difficulty is that Linux is not
for sale. Microsoft and Apple operating systems are for sale;
consequently there is a reference point -- the numbers sold.

A further difficulty is that some huge but indeterminable number of
computers sold today have a Windows OS already installed on them.
Consequently an equally indeterminable number of computer buyers who
want to use Linux find themselves forced to buy those computers.  After
sale they discard the Windows OS and install their favourite flavour of
Linux. Statistically however these buyers are numbered with the users of
Windows OS users, I myself being among them.

Other anecdotal evidence indicates a percentage much higher than 1%. For
example, virtually the entire scientific and technological community of
all the universities I have ever been associated with are exclusive *nix
users. Universities everywhere are Linux repositories. My guess is that
world wide, Linux market share for desktops and laptops exceeds 10%.

One result of the lack of accurate, verifiable statistics on market
share is the perception -- encouraged by Microsoft because Microsoft is
probably afraid of Linux -- that only "geeks" -- not "normal" people --
can get Linux to work.  Consequently, in spite of the superiority of
Linux "nobody" uses it.  For further anecdotal information google
"market share Linux" and see what Steve Balmer among others has to say
about the subject.

Ken Heard

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