Bonum Certa Men Certa

Mac Asay Needs to Learn What Chrome OS Is

Summary: Rebuttal tackling another typical piece of FUD which belittles GNU/Linux as a desktop platform

A HEATED thread in Diaspora presents strong criticism of a provocative (if not trollish) article from Mac Asay [1], who appears to be ignoring the rise Chromebooks, basically revealing either ignorance or dishonesty (while also mocking those who adhere to facts). There are already some rebuttals to Asay's article [2], which was posted/published/dumped in a Microsoft-friendly site. Some rebuttals are too rude to quote, but those who are curious can follow the links.



It is not hard to see why Asay is wrong. He bolsters FUD that we habitually find in ZDNet/CNET (CBS) and IDG (Microsoft-funded) -- FUD that we see easily tackled in [3]. Even some pro-Windows sites show that large-scale migrations are happening which boost GNU/Linux, helped in part by the imminent death of Windows XP. The desktop does matter and GNU/Linux is gaining in this area.

Treat with great suspicion people who claim that GNU/Linux on the desktop is "dead", "dying", "irrelevant" or something along those lines. In recent months we wrote several articles on this topic, including:



We wrote a lot more on the subject, but this is just a partial list of posts from the past 3 months.

The pattern of GNU/Linux FUD in relation to "desktops" makes a comeback because sometimes those who give it a go are not being challenged. Ignoring and thus failing to rebut is not necessarily the wise strategy here.

Related/contextual items from the news:



  1. Why The Linux Desktop Doesn't Matter Anymore


  2. Yes, the Linux desktop still matters!
    Wow. Talk about a Negative Ned take on the Linux desktop! I'm somewhat flabbergasted at this blithe dismissal of Linux as a desktop operating system. And almost all of it is based on the anecdotal experience of the writer's hair cutter friend Valerie.


  3. Research Shows Chromebooks Doing Very Well in the Education Market
    For more than a year now, sales have been downright dreary for PCs and PC equipment makers, but new-generation Chromebooks running Google's Chrome OS platform have shown signs of bucking the trend. Late last year, there were many reports that Chromebooks were not selling well at all. For example, a ZDNet column cited some IDC research that apparently showed Chromebooks struggling.


  4. Charity re-uses your old Windows XP machine to help provide students with digital skills
    "Up to 500,000 computers are discarded each year in Ireland, half of which are suitable for reuse. Every reused computer can provide 21 disadvantaged students with the crucial 21st century skill of digital literacy. After the data is securely wiped from the hard drive, the Linux operating system is installed, which is compatible even with older computer equipment," Camara stated in an official blog post.

    Once Camara receives your donated computer, the hard drive will be erased and a Linux-based operating system will be installed, along with Open Office and access to Wikipedia. Kids will then have access to a wide range of tools and resources so they can learn a wide variety of topics through their new refurbished computers - thanks to you.


Recent Techrights' Posts

Abuse Inside the Polish Patent Office (UPRP) - Part IX: Minimum Wages For You (Experienced Scientist), Alicante/EU Paydays For Me (Unproductive, Corrupt Official)
Does UPRP maladministration extend to the false belief that qualified and experienced scientists can play the role of circus clowns?
"The Liberating Power of Simply Telling People the Truth."
'polite' bullying
Who Imitates Who? Plagiarist as Client (From Microsoft), 'Plagiarism' at the Law Firm?
let's revisit the subject
EPO's Central Staff Committee (CSC) Scrutinises the Man Who Illegally Grants (and Forces Others to Illegally Participate in Granting) Software Patents in Europe
EPO compels examiners to break the law in the name of obeying illegal "rules" or "orders"
The Latest Rumour Says The Next (as Correctly Predicted Before) Wave of Layoffs at Microsoft is 3 Weeks Away, "Larger Than the First Wave"
Step 2
TV Licensing Used to SPAM Your Postbox, Now It Does the Same to E-mail
First they ask for your E-mail address; then they start nagging you via E-mail
Our Priority is Still Tackling Software Patents and Corruption in Patent Offices
Meanwhile we got compliments on our recent articles, which means that they are effective
Slopwatch: Another Day, Another Slopfest, LLM Slop Scrapers Slow Down Our Site
We too have some slop issues; this past day this site and the sister site had to answer about 2.5 million requests (not counting Gemini Protocol) and it's slowing things down for everybody
 
Links 12/06/2025: Portland Homeless Deaths Quadruple, COVID Cases Surge in Asia
Links for the day
EPO's Gareth Lord Asked About "Quality and Productivity" or, Put Another Way, Why the EPO Keeps Granting So Many Invalid/Illegal Patents
letter to Lord
The Toxic Playbook
Either you support Prince Mohammed bin Salman or you're a nazi
It's Possible That BetaNews Got Cracked, But Nobody Talks About It, The Site Contains an Outdated Old Image, No Activity
It's possible that they will never explain what happened to the site and users' accounts
Links 12/06/2025: Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson Dies
Links for the day
Gemini Links 12/06/2025: Video Game Diegesis and Steam Next Fest
Links for the day
Why the Militants Have Lost Every Battle Since 2022 (When Attacking My Wife and I in Various Ways, Even Attacking Our Employers)
This takes patience, sure, but at the end most evildoers face the consequences for their actions
Politics Will Impact Software Choices
Will those systems respect users' freedom?
EPO: Neglecting Children to Promote American Monopolies by Shielding Them From European Competition
Yesterday the Central Staff Committee at the EPO spoke about another "reform" at the Office
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, June 11, 2025
IRC logs for Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Links 11/06/2025: More Vulnerabilities Found in 'Smart' Phones, China Extends Reach in the Pacific
Links for the day
Gemini Links 11/06/2025: Grain and Steam Next Fest
Links for the day
Links 11/06/2025: "Quantum" Hype From IBM, US Closer to Martial Law, and “The Nation” Celebrates Milestone
Links for the day
IBM's CEO Roasted, Sizzled and Grilled for Dumb and Inconsistent Vapourware Promises
It looks like being a chronic liar is what it takes to lead the company once synonymous with computing
IBM's Goal Is Not (and Never Was) Computer Users' Freedom
More than 1.5 decades ago I found IBM to be an "ally of convenience" because of OpenDocument Format (ODF)
Wayland Shows the IBM/Red Hat Way of Doing Things
IBM is trying to 'kill' X
GitHub is Proprietary, Controlled by Microsoft, and GPL Violation Warehouse
"IRS tax filing software [will be] released to the people as free software" ... In general this is good news
Slopfarm Catastrophe
Seems like BetaNews (or BetaNoise) has just suffered a major data loss and restored the site from a week-old backup
Abuse Inside the Polish Patent Office (UPRP) - Part VIII: Illegal Working Conditions
How many people need to die for these people to get their massive salaries?
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, June 10, 2025
IRC logs for Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Links 10/06/2025: Apple Hype and Physical Attacks on Bloggers
Links for the day
Gemini Links 10/06/2025: Loon Lake, Farming, and Forth
Links for the day
Links 10/06/2025: Jaws at 50 and US Democracy Crushed Very Rapidly (Martial Law Seems Imminent)
Links for the day
Abuse Inside the Polish Patent Office (UPRP) - Part VII: Washing Their Hands After Corruption and Abuse
"Tragedy or comedy?"
Culling Bad RSS Feeds of Bad Sites
Not throwing out the baby with the bathwater
If 'Microsoft v Techrights' is Dealt With by a 'Microsoft Court' (or a Court Outsourced to Microsoft)
More on that later
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, June 09, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, June 09, 2025
Gemini Protocol Turns Six in 10 Days From Now
If you haven't tried it yet, then give it a go today
Live as You Preach
technology is fast becoming dysphoric