What is Digg?197 Comments
- shrewduser, on 10/12/2007, -7/+868 million users, and thats only one distro,... for comparison the xbox 360 as of September 30, 2006 has sold 6 million units worldwide....
now hurry up and bring on the commercial apps and games... - agentbob, on 10/12/2007, -9/+58... and the elephant population has tripled in the past ten years.
- Phocion55, on 10/12/2007, -10/+508 million Ubuntu users? or 8 million users spread out between Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Christbuntu, Satanbuntu, Newbuntu, UClowntu, Ubuntubuntu, *takes a breath* Linux Mint, Utelo, Hotpocketsbuntu, Crackbuntu, etc.....
- shrewduser, on 10/12/2007, -7/+46i like how people state facts without citations expecting to be believed... just what makes you think "far more folks are going for cocoa" ?
- MiniMac, on 10/12/2007, -4/+42And I am proud to say that I am one of them. Best thing I ever did was switch. Mainly due to Digg and /. as they were the places that opened my eyes to the ***** of MS.
Sincere thanks. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -3/+35@anicejew
Quit being an elitist prick. Seriously.
Ubuntu has 8 million users in just over 2 years. There must be something to it. - motang, on 10/12/2007, -5/+31Over 8 million users, that is just impressive.
O_o - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -6/+32@Racoon
I'm with you......installed, removed, reinstalled, removed, reinstalled.......over and over.Works for a while then when I try to use something as simple as a scanner or try to capture video from my Sony Camera I have to spend 3 days searching the forums in hopes of finding the fix.....I wish it would but I dont think I will ever see it over take Windows. Too many issues that the normal user will not want to go through. I have seen a million posts like this claiming that now is the time for Linux to move ahead....and it never does.......wishing and doing are two different things.... - kwilliam, on 10/12/2007, -2/+28"Ubuntu is quickly becoming the #2 OS by earning it. Apparently the "innovation" of OSX isnt all that innovative."
Come on now, everyone in the computer industry is innovative. Microsoft, Apple, Novell. And they all steal good ideas from each other. None of them were as innovative as Xerox. (Yes, you hear me right. If you didn't know that Xerox invented the computer mouse and concept of "windows", you have no right to claim you understand who is "innovating.") - fireandlight27, on 10/12/2007, -1/+27"Hmmm why in the hell this retarded fanboy compared an OS to a Game Console get +20? He didn't even mention Ubuntu released couple years ago, and x360 released last year?"
Very simple, shrewduser is saying that if developers will sell games for a console with 6 million people on it, why not develop games/applications for an OS with 8 million users. He/she is not directly comparing an OS to a game console, they are simply stating that if they can make money selling to an base of 6 million, can't they do the same selling to a base of 8 million. The logic is faulty because 100% percent of those 6 million people are gamers, which can't be said of Ubuntu, and because developers are counting on a lot more people adopting the x360, but it doesn't make shrewduser a "retarded fanboy". - flag564, on 10/12/2007, -12/+35"Get real. Apple is way ahead of even linux, in raw numbers, and in aesthetics and innovation"
Save it. Ubuntu is quickly becoming the #2 OS by earning it. Apparently the "innovation" of OSX isnt all that innovative. - pozzoe, on 10/12/2007, -5/+27Ok, tell me when Vista comes bundled with:
-Office suit
-Photo editor
-Programming tools
-Many minesweeper-small games
And tell me when you can do some clicks to add things like:
-3D editing applications
-vector graphics editor
And I'm sure I'm forgetting many applications (not counting the options you have for each type, i.e. browsers, editors, GUIs, etc)
I call those "Linux" features, they come in almost any modern distro. - key134, on 10/12/2007, -4/+26@0siris: Just to let you know, you can't count the MACs unless you are on the local network segment. Each time a packet goes through a router, the MAC address of the packet gets changed to that router's MAC. So, if you tried to count the MACs, you would likely get a total of 1: an Ubuntu router.
-Keith - exsst, on 10/12/2007, -0/+22Weather it be any form of ubuntu, they are still using ubuntu as the core development package.
- fleabag, on 10/12/2007, -8/+27@m3mn0n
I would assume your bad experience with the community only comes from your lack of respect. Perhaps you should take a look at :
http://www.eff.org/Net_culture/Linguistics/irc_etiquette.faq
and
http://catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html - 0siris, on 10/12/2007, -12/+31They just count the number of Mac Addresses that log onto the apt servers. Not the IP's, but each computer has a unique ID number thats sent during the update.
- YourDoom123, on 10/12/2007, -5/+23Like someone mentioned earlier, they're probably counting ip addresses, meaning yes, all of those :-p
- raynevandunem, on 10/12/2007, -17/+34One thing that most Linux vendors haven't realized is that there are few things that their particular distro can do that Windows or Mac OS can't.
At the moment, what Linux has is a portable kernel, legacy Unix underpinnings for security, and 3d desktops.
Plus, they're not necessarily winning over alot of application developers (save for Linux enthusiasts). Qt may be the best thing that Linux+KDE has at the moment for developers (don't get them started on GTK+), but far more folks are going for Cocoa on Mac OS X.
Me? XUL seems much more interesting to me. - Phocion55, on 10/12/2007, -12/+27"8 million minus 1."
And you'll be SADLY missed :*( - Meep3D, on 10/12/2007, -13/+28I'd like to see where they get the 8 million users number from.
- danielwsmithee, on 10/12/2007, -2/+17@anicejew
I love Apple and OS X as well but if you have not used Ubuntu recently then you are missing out it is really quite amazing. OS X is my bread butter that I prefer using and use every day but Ubuntu has come a long way. Now if they could only get rid of that ugly Texas Longhorns color theme they have going on :) Ubuntu is easier to use then Windows right now by a long shot in my opinion. Still not as nice as OS X. Ubuntu is ready itself for the mainstream the only thing that is missing is support from 3rd parties. - inkubux, on 10/12/2007, -2/+16Joe Schmo is already busy removing viruses and spyware , he have no time to learn linux ;)
- schestowitz, on 10/12/2007, -3/+16Add some more OLPC's and PlayStation 3's to this equation. Then, mobile phones, devices... you see where I'm going...
- pufuwozu, on 10/12/2007, -5/+18Linux can't fix your closed source video card drivers. Try to blame ATI and/or Nvidia for not putting that feature in.
- motang, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12@exsst Exactly like Vista is going to have 6 or 7 different versions and when it comes down to it, it is still Vista.
- Snoopsor, on 10/12/2007, -2/+14I'm not trying to have a go at you, but did you do any research on the operating system before you tried it out? You're comparing an expensive macbook with a free operating system.
Computers are used in a number of ways - solving problems, social interaction with others, stress relief (games), etc... An operating system is merely the backbone for the applications which run on it. gnu/linux happens to be a very widely used operating system for a number of reasons - the security without the obscurity, the stability - which is partly due to the lack of obscurity, the community of users, the customisable aspect - which makes it perfect for use in servers, as a servers role is to do its job as fast as possible with the least amount of interruptions from other services..
Saying that linux is not ready yet when a specialized application (the gimp) doesn't work as well as what you expected is a bit of a stretch. My favourite music player is amarok..I can't run this on windows.. Does that make windows not ready yet? Does windows xp come with a wireless manager? Don't think so - must not be ready yet. Can os x natively run the games that windows can? Nope? Must not be ready yet. You can go on all day with that train of thought.
When you get down to it, it's about choosing the right tool for the right job, if you're using a computer to solve problems - such as graphic design. I'm not a graphic designer, so it is not my place to make judgement on the gimp over photoshop or other. However, I am a software engineer, and with that I find linux is more suitable for solving many of the daily problems I face compared to windows or os x.
ubuntu, for me at least is absolutely ideally suited to the average user, who uses their pc for email, browsing the web, and listening to some music.. When it gets anymore specific than that, then choosing the right tool for the right job clause comes into affect, which naturally requires (in a perfect world) the user at least research which applications are available for each operating system, then upon that make a judgement and choose the best solution.
If you do decide to try out a linux distribution again in the future, take a look at gimpshop over just the gimp, it's probably more suitable for what you want http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GIMPshop - aidanr, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12@thecrytalship
it's calculated off the ammount of unique ip's hitting the repos
it still isn't all that accurate though because that doesn't account for dynamic ip's or people with multiple ubuntu boxes - ardellin, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12The digg title could have been a bit more focused on the main content of the article. I found it a pretty interesting read, and not at all because of the predicted number of Ubuntu users.
- Racoon, on 10/12/2007, -7/+18I to have downloaded and installed it many times. Sure its a nice distro but its not for me, it lacks to much i need.
- exsst, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11Racoon, agreed, but It's only getting easier, and as a novice computer user, I've successfully setup ubuntu on my laptop to use every peripheral it has.. including installing vmware for running windows xp under it.
- atdigg, on 10/12/2007, -2/+12OS X? Does it run on my hardware?
- bryan879, on 10/12/2007, -3/+13The thing Linux in general needs to fix before your average joe will use it is easy of configuration. Some simple things in Linux are just too difficult to get going for the average person. For example, dual monitors is a pain in the butt to get working properly. In windows you just install your video cards and drivers and you are done. Average users don't want do perform cli tasks to compile the driver for their video card and hunt down and install obscure packages to get something simple going.
- orbit1979, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10This is one of the few level-headed Linux articles I have read in a long time. Mark Shuttleworth speaks in a professional tone, and at least gives me the impression that he might be the one who could create the Linux desktop as a truly viable alternative to Windows in a smart, responsible way. In other words, be a real competitor of Microsoft. (p.s. this was written on XP)
- topcat5, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10Has anyone here actually installed XP on a machine? I have yet to see it work out of the box. It takes hours to find all of the necessary drivers, updates, configurations, etc. to get hardware to work and often the drivers crash and burn. Then you have to go through all the steps and additional cost to secure it so it doesn't get a virus, trojan, and anything else that will bring it down. Ubuntu is very very easy in comparison.
- flag564, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11"What's the benefits of Linux over OSX or XP/Vista?"
It's free.
Works on older PCs which means lower income persons can have an up to date system without having to pay $$$ for a setup.
Does almost everything that the average person needs to do easily.
For people who honestly do not want to use Windows, it provides an alternative without having to join a creepy cult.
Two words: Live CD - pufuwozu, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10If estimating from the updates/repository downloads then it would only count official Canonical distributions.
- Phocion55, on 10/12/2007, -22/+31"I mean just look at Windows Vista, it has tons of new features..."
I wouldn't call more bloated DRM's "features" - curmudgeon7205, on 10/12/2007, -4/+12Done! (12/29/2005)
Next project? - rmxz, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10Could well be an undercount too.
All our sales people use Ubuntu under a virtual machine on their laptops to demo our product. Assuming IT configured those right, they should be firewalled off to the point where Canonical wouldn't know. So Ubuntu use in our sales office is undercounted by a factor of about 10 - because they'd only know about the one master image.
(and it amazes me the licensing pain you'd go through to do similar with proprietary OS's - or do all those proprietary OS users just do it illegally?) - DrBob, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8Probably.
- pufuwozu, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9Canonical only need to look at the number of Ubuntu updates for a very rough estimate.
- rishabhnasa, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8http://www.shipit.ubuntu.com
for people that want to try out ubuntu
http://shipit.kubuntu.org/
for people that like KDE
https://shipit.edubuntu.org/
for people that want an OS for education
Try out one of these, and decide for yourself - psbpv3o, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10"it may finally be time for Linux to out-innovate Apple and Microsoft on the desktop."
Linux has been out-innovating both apple and microsoft for a long time. Look at vista and then look at a current tricked-out linux distro. All the eye candy, way more secure, free. The only flaw is the learning curve for linux, but with all its benefits its well worth it for any computer user. - flag564, on 10/12/2007, -4/+11I must be one of those weird ones who has had Ubuntu (K and X) installed for months without problems, well other than file sharing, but i'm 88% to a solution there. They run faster than my XP machine and are pretty easy to add necessary programs.
They just need to make the FS eaiser to understand. - nayr, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9I, for one, like cocoa MUCH more than gtk+ or Qt... and I've programmed extensively with both. I use ubuntu and osx, and love osx more. I find it easier to use, more intuitive, MUCH prettier and powerful. I find Ubuntu restrictive. Aside from osx, I find myself thinking of myself as a linux user as opposed to an ubuntu user; I would use gentoo if I had the time.
Apple will win in the long run because it is guaranteed to work. Period. - Frost9999, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Ok, fair cop. I meant "linux is not ready for me." Really, I'm not trying to slate the other happy 8 million users, just expressing my own experience. And yes, I compared an expensive OSX macbook with an expensive Dell running a free OS, so what? If Ubuntu was perfect for my needs I would happily pay for it.
- exsst, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Would it matter?.. No, because kubuntu's core is ubuntu.
- exsst, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6I think it's fair to say that it depends what computer you have.
We all know that some manufactures don't give two ***** about writing drivers for linux and often keep their proprietary drivers wrapped up without giving out the necessary documents *cough* broadcom.
I think it's great when people have the right hardware and are able to experience ubuntu the way it is meant to be.. Every time ubuntu gets bad reviews it's because of the crippled way it comes across because it is unable to support all hardware.
This is the problem, but the more users who jump onto ubuntu (such as me) the more mind share it gets, which in turn interests coders to fix the problems (esp driver issues) with linux in general, making it better for all... and that effort can be appreciated by many people who use ubuntu. - danielwsmithee, on 10/12/2007, -6/+12Everyone migrating to one or two distros will help Linux in the long run. There is too much effort going into making a slight variation of the same thing. How many distros, window managers, text editors etc are there? The problem is the software is developed by developers that are not enspired by developing software to make them money, but instead to develop software that they will use. I love Linux but I am a software engineer so it fits my needs. It does not fit the average consumers needs though because the only motivation to develop things like something comparable to iLife is feeling good about furthering Linux, which works for a while but in the end everyone has to pay their bills somehow. The Linux developers that are payed are payed to target corporations or software engineering tools. There is no commercial linux for consumers.
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