[Gllug] BBC: Battle of the operating systems

[Richard Cohen]

On 27/01/07, Christopher Hunter <chrisehunter at blueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
> On Fri, 2007-01-26 at 09:57 +0000, Chris Jones wrote:
>
> > The desktop percentage is still pretty small, so "will succeed" shows a
> > desire to see it grow significantly, I suspect :)
>
> I was in the Far East recently, and was astonished to see virtually 100%
> Linux use - the only Windows desktops I saw in use were at check-in
> desks at a couple of airports and to drive the departures boards in
> Shanghai (I know it was Windows - it had blue-screened!).

I hate to tell you, but that is *not* a universal thing - in the
particular bit of the Far East in which I live (and am still looking
for work!), Linux use is pretty low and almost invisible.  Obviously
on the server end of things there's some Linux, although less than I'd
expect, but I was chatting to someone yesterday who pointed out,
fairly enough, that when piracy of Windows is rampant, the most
obvious advantage of free software is nullified.  You and I know that
it's not about the free beer, but when you're in a Windows-saturated
market and licensing costs don't enter into the equation, Linux has a
harder time of it that it should.

And no, I do not want to bloody work in bloody Beijing.

> The take up of Linux on the desktop might be quite small in Europe and
> the 'States, but the rest of the world is way ahead.

I disagree.  In most of the non-Western world, that I've seen,
awareness and use of Linux and other free software is significantly
lower.

> Chris

Cheers
Richard
-- 
Gllug mailing list  -  Gllug at gllug.org.uk
http://lists.gllug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/gllug