New article in the Economist criticizing Linux usability

[D. Hugh Redelmeier]

| From: charles chris <cccharlz-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org>

| Hey!  Linux is for people who live on Facebook and YouTube.  They download
| videos, songs, copy and make DVD, burn audio CD, perform basic picture and
| video editing, create resume, etc.

Currently most of those tasks require the use of patented CODECs.  You
cannot legally distribute those freely (for one or two meanings of
"free").  So this is decidedly not a safe baseline niche.

There are ways around this problem.  Android has done it.  But this
has come at the cost of changing the nature of community, something I
would not like.

| They may need Skype to work with an internal webcam:  We need hacks here!

Skype is now owned by Microsoft.  How long do you think that they will
keep the Linux client going?

| Linux is NOT for graphic artists/desktop publishers/printers, video editors
| Linux is NOT for tax preparers, financial services people
| Linux is NOT for engineers who use Autocad
| Linux is NOT for doctors and lawyers
| Linux is NOT for the near blind who need ZoomText!

I agree that there are barriers here, but there are also
opportunities.


The first approximation of who will use Linux is who now uses Linux.

Drastic changes in market may come from drastic changes in Linux.

For example, Android is a drastic change and it has created a large
number of Linux (kernel) users.  But it hasn't had much impact on
traditional Linux users -- few spinoff benefits (no network effect, no
new applications).

Example: many appliances run Linux inside (routers, TV sets,
set-top-boxes, cameras, ...).  Big deal.  The GPL has forced some of
those to be more open, a benefit to the appliance owners but not so
much to the Linux community.

Example: Palm/HP WebOS.  This might have promise if the Linux
community picks up the (dropped)ball and runs with it.  I'd like that
but I don't expect it to happen.

Example: OLPC.  That's an open project so sharing with mainline Linux
distros is quite possible.  But there seems to have been hardly any
spin-off benefits to Linux.  Sugar (the OLPC distro) is as easy as pie to add to a
Fedora system.  I've done it on my desktop, but never use the result.
Even though I'm a Logo fan.
--
The Toronto Linux Users Group.      Meetings: http://gtalug.org/
TLUG requests: Linux topics, No HTML, wrap text below 80 columns
How to UNSUBSCRIBE: http://gtalug.org/wiki/Mailing_lists