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240 Comments
- LANjackal, on 02/25/2009, -2/+124Mac OS runs only on Macs, Linux runs on anything and is gaining traction with MS' top hardware partners. No surprise MS is more concerned about the latter.
- serwin88, on 02/25/2009, -4/+69Although Ballmer is crazy, he does make some sense..
- gridbread, on 02/25/2009, -7/+65You can't beat free.
- bluechips23, on 02/25/2009, -11/+64First they ignore you.
Then they laugh at you.
Then they fight you.
Then you win.
From Ballmer's past and present comments, I guess it is safe to assume that Linux is in stage 3 in Operation World Domination. - gcnaddict, on 02/25/2009, -2/+37Linux is a bigger competitor not just because of how versatile it is (see LANjackal's comment above mine), but because Apple is too closed-minded to expand their computer lineup. Windows is exponentially more diverse than Mac OS X, and Linux has the potential to be exponentially more diverse than Windows. That's the risk: Linux can easily overtake Windows if just one company does it right, and given that multiple companies are actually coming close to doing it right (see netbooks)... well, you can see where this is going.
Full disclosure: I own MSFT stock. - colincornaby, on 02/25/2009, -2/+32Apple is only really a threat in consumer space. Linux is everywhere, especially in servers which is one of Microsoft's bread and butter industries.
I think for consumer computers, Apple is still the bigger threat, but overall, with Linux in cell phones and servers, it could cut into Microsoft's profits more than Apple could. - WhiskeyLemur, on 06/30/2009, -7/+36You can, if you offer significantly greater convenience - but if Linux ever gets at least one incarnation that's user-friendly enough to be comparable to Microsoft, MS is going to be in for a world of hurt.
- jeremyduffy, on 02/25/2009, -0/+27That and Linux was a surprise contender with netbooks where MS has a pretty good idea of what Apple is and is going to be doing. I figure all this means is that they never saw Linux coming.
- doctordbx, on 02/25/2009, -4/+29Obviously 5% = Domination
80% = Super-Mega Domination - 89vision, on 02/25/2009, -7/+30well no *****, apple doesn't really compete on the server market
- trevorh, on 02/25/2009, -0/+20Also people who buy Macs still often use MSOffice but people who use linux usually don't.
- javaroast, on 02/25/2009, -0/+19Netscape and WordPerfect do not fit those comments. If anything both of those companies worked the steps in reverse:
First you win
Then they fight you
Then the laugh at you
Then they ignore you. - motang, on 02/25/2009, -2/+19Yeah I know, that would be a prime reason for Microsoft to pay more attention to Linux than Mac at the moment.
- intellimouse, on 02/25/2009, -2/+19OS X will never dominate anything but the consumer market because no organization wants the very very limited choices that Apple offers in terms of hardware. No business wants the choice of only one supplier. Furthermore, Apple lacks enterprise developer tools and they don't cater to developers the way Microsoft does (obviously).
- WhiskeyLemur, on 06/30/2009, -0/+16There's also the issue of pricepoint, as is discussed in the article: "With an economy that's not doing very well, people will opt for cheaper products. Apple cannot [or rather will not] offer those, but Linux and piracy can."
- jimbod, on 02/25/2009, -2/+18If Microsoft had been able to control piracy more effectively China and India would be Linux shops and where would that leave Microsoft? Right, they would be at a 50% global market share and shrinking.
Microsoft, pirates are not your competitors they are your low cost trial version distribution channels accept it. - grindmygears, on 02/25/2009, -0/+15Thank you for confirming that Mac OS only runs on proprietary Apple hardware.
- phoomp, on 02/26/2009, -1/+15Not only does Linux run on everything, up-to-date versions even run on older computers than Vista or MacOS will. New Windows and MacOS's require computers no more than a handful of years old, while Linux will put some life back in to that 5+ years old computer.
Oh, and not only do I not need to buy a new computer, but the OS is free. - ThantiK, on 02/25/2009, -1/+15Netscape == Firefox. It's come a long way but the original codebase was used as the foundation for the early firefox releases.
And Firefox is winning ground every day. Microsoft is being forced to conform to standards of web development, and when was wordperfect ever FOSS? - TimDigg, on 02/25/2009, -2/+15I always think of Apple as a Consumer electronics company, sort of like a Sony...
whereas I think of MS as more of a technology company, Linux is position well in different software markets unlike an apple computer - stanski1, on 02/25/2009, -9/+22Quote-
"Apple's market share is bigger than BMW's or Mercedes's or Porsche's in the automotive market. What's wrong with being BMW or Mercedes?"
-Steve Jobs - isorfir, on 02/25/2009, -8/+20I'd like to hear your definition of "dominate."
- daftman, on 02/25/2009, -1/+13Netscape and WordPerfect cost money and are run by single organisation
Linux is a chimera and is free. - begbegbegbegbeg, on 02/25/2009, -0/+11You might want to double-check that "fact" - hasn't been true for a few years now.
- Hermmunster, on 02/26/2009, -0/+11And Microsoft was taken to court over Netscape and others and determined to be a criminal predatory monopolist.
- inactive, on 02/25/2009, -2/+12"Ballmer, your Jedi mind ticks won't work on me."
- shadowman99, on 02/25/2009, -2/+11@subxero37 - You're not only wrong about configuring hardware in Linux, you're wrong about Windows too.
If I had a dime for every time I disabled a device only to have Windows fscking re-detect on my next reboot I'd be rich. When I disable a device in Linux, it's gone. When you're maintaining grandma's machine you want to know your fixes are going to hold even after you go home.
Last but not least, most of us want to know Grandma's machine is not going to get a virus between maintenance sessions. - vakeraj86, on 02/25/2009, -0/+9It's harder to hide a $120 OS licensing fee in a cheap netbook.
- Hermmunster, on 02/26/2009, -0/+9Grandma can use it. It does work. It does work well 99% of the time without serious hassles. Linux overcame those key issues and has for quite some time.
The problem isn't with mom and pop using it. The problem isn't with the kids using it. The problem isn't with anyone else using it. ONCE IT IS SET UP. The problem is about perception and about the OS geeks parading the likes of Windows and OSX while not giving it a truthful reviews.
I see so many people on here writing their preceptions of Linux. Having been in the industry for so many years (2 decades) and after having viewed so many miscreant comments regarding it, I can't help but accept that those writing these comments have never looked at a modern linux distro (either they haven't ever looked at linux or haven't looked at it in a long time).
It's pathetic.
Linux is an extremely competent OS. I have several machines set up in my store and when I watch people who have only small bits of experience with a computer use it as they use Windows I know enough to call foul against those spouting inaccuracies and untruths to keep a solid OS down.
It is obvious people when you make comments and you dont' back them up. You don't show reports, you don't state your own experinces, you reiterate what you read from some joe who posted above you in the thread.
It's just obvious.
Linux is solid, and does what the vast majority of people want and need for virtually every task.
Ballmer recently stated that Microsoft would continue to have bad financials in the 2nd half of 2008 fiscal year (ending in a couple months for them). Industry analysts concluded it is because fewer PCs are being sold. Fewer units means fewer sales of Vista and XP. That clearly tells us that Microsoft's fortunes are tied not to the quality and competence of their OS but to the bundling deals. Given a fair market where no computer OSes are bundled and the choice is Windows vs. some other OS Microsoft's market share would be no where near as high as it is today.
Microsoft has spent a tremendous fortune to ensure that there are reasons to not switch away from Windows. Much of this is known as vendor lock in.
I've put Linux onto many people's computers of all ages. The older folks seem to be better adjusted to Linux. One reason is that they generally aren't already encumbered by Microsoft's way. They see it as a learning curve and go with that. The younger generation has the worst experience because they are already stuck on the Microsoft's way. People in their 30s are hard to work with because they think they are preppies and have to do it the same way the Jones's do. It's not that they can't learn or that they are already settled but that they want to be like the Jones. You can see that demonstrated here with the replies on this website. It's rather nausiating--and then you have the various companies astroturfing, that makes it hard to determine which of the younger generation and which of the 30ish people are really just astroturfing.
The bottom line is this. Once it is set up and working there's no reason to switch off Linux. It does what virtually everyone wants all the time. It does a good job and it is very attractive today with the likes of KDE 4.2.
Can't go wrong with Linux everywhere. It's that simple. - MacParrot, on 02/25/2009, -0/+8I think dominate is probably too strong a word. I've yet to see a breakdown between the home (where Apple is very strong though hardly dominate) and business markets (where Microsoft is king) that made much sense.
I know many here would like to deny it, but Apple has come back from the nearly dead (2% or lower market share) prior to the release of OS X to their roughly 10% (depending on whose numbers you believe) of the US market. Overseas is still nothing to brag about, but nice gains there as well. With the current economic downturn, the next quarter results in April should be telling on how well Apple is fairing.
Having said that with both Apple and Microsoft being the more expensive choices (especially Apple), now would be the time for Linux to make a move. First someone (ANYONE) should suggest some consolidation within the ranks. Choice can be good, but too many choices can be confusing for the average consumer. Develop a release with much of the software most people need already installed and configured. Encourage some of the bigger software developers to release Linux-friendly versions of commercial software. Apple with iTunes would be a good place to start. - nkassi, on 02/25/2009, -3/+11which offers nothing more than the competition and is more expensive and less flexible. They dropped the XSan array. I think they should forget the Xserv, it's useless. OSX just doesn't appeal to the sysadmins out there.
- intellimouse, on 02/25/2009, -0/+8Allright, we got it. It was funny the first 10,000 times.
- indymike, on 02/25/2009, -1/+9Linux is a problem for MS as it denies even MS Office license sales to Redmond. Competition is good for consumers. It's great to see the little part of the market share chart getting bigger.
- cplusplus, on 02/25/2009, -2/+9I don't think Ballmer would tell the truth in public. When he speaks in public he's fully aware that his enemies are listening.
In fact you can almost be sure he means the opposite. - theaceoffire, on 02/25/2009, -2/+9Linux is always getting better, and whenever one distro makes a breakthrough in usability or features the others can quickly adapt the same.
Microsoft is monolithic, and can't adapt or update at anywhere near the same rate.
Linux went from not even remotely usable to so easy that my parents can use it... and if they keep up the trend, they may reach a level where even my parents can install it without my help.
Yes, they have been trying for 20 years... but the speed of development has been advancing at an exponential rate.
A year ago you had to install codecs by hand, now they automatically get searched for and installed... before that, people had to manually mount hard drives and thumb drives, and before that they had to manually connect to the internet.
The leaps made in the last few years has been amazing, and things just keep getting better... Now with the advancements that Browsers are making, we will have fast communication between computers that never have to restart, that don't need to constantly run anti-virus, anti-spyware, etc programs, and that you can give to anyone who likes it.
- Rudegar, on 02/25/2009, -0/+7was unix server % not always bigger then ms?
think it was
ms pre asp.net could not get a crazy person to use IIS
not saying that ms is winning but they were never dominating
on webservers and only recently big on db servers (and not as much online db servers) more lan ones - stanski1, on 02/25/2009, -1/+8I think you are completely missing the point of that statement. I doesen’t matter how many companies are playing the game (the OS market), some companies focus on producing a quality product, and some focus on putting a product to market as quickly as possible. I am convert from Windows to Mac, and I can appreciate the thought and effort put into Apple products. Windows was fine in its day, but I just began to value my time more and did not want to F**K around with a broken Windows machine.
Also... It's idiodic to compare Microsoft and Apple. Their core business is completely different. - FKnight, on 02/25/2009, -2/+9Some people want their ***** to work.
- KMartSheriff, on 02/25/2009, -1/+8Exactly. Apple hardly even competes in the server market so of course Linux is a way bigger competitor. The consumer market is a different story however.
- nkassi, on 02/25/2009, -0/+7Seems to be working, which is why I own AAPL stocks while I mainly use Linux.
- Hermmunster, on 02/26/2009, -0/+7Windows has been out for 20 years too. And Linux came out roughly in 1991. It's still shy of the 20 year mark. Linux hasn't had the advantage of being bundled (and as far as the justice department lawsuit went, illegal bundling practices to gain market share and establish a defacto monopoly).
The point of 20 years is moot as all OSes that we are talking about had their roots in the OS world 20 years ago. - depro9, on 02/25/2009, -6/+13Ballmer you can't win this one, sorry.
- inactive, on 02/26/2009, -0/+6Wow, a mac user who's not a mac freak, doesn't like OSx and uses Ubuntu? That's almost enough to forgive the mac purchase. Dugg.
Interesting that Ubuntu actually made releases for PowerPC. - skc0der, on 02/25/2009, -1/+7more like the mildly retarded guy on the street trying to sell you colorful beaded necklaces.
- inactive, on 02/26/2009, -0/+6is "niche" the word you looking for?
- MokaPot, on 02/25/2009, -8/+14It's a pity, I really liked Minesweeper.
- MokaPot, on 02/25/2009, -1/+7You didn't get it. :(
- phunction, on 02/25/2009, -1/+7you may be correct KMartSherrif, but there's a big difference between what they originally intended and what they're doing now. i own apple products, and i love em, but they're out there for one thing and that thing is to make money. i personally hate osx, so my ibook g4 runs ubuntu 6.06 and i hate windows so my dell runs ubuntu 8.10. open source is definitely the way to go, especially when we're knee deep in economic sh*t.
with that being said, i still love my ibook, ipod and iphone :D - gandhii, on 02/26/2009, -1/+7I've been told that most modern/standard pc hardware runs OSX as well now a days. You just can't do that legally.. like you can with the other two options. There really isn't anything non-standard about apple computer hardware these days.
- inactive, on 02/25/2009, -0/+6And the version of Windows 7 for developing nations is absolute trash.
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