What Microsoft says

Summary: Figures suggest that GNU/Linux users are more common than suggested by flawed statistics (gathered by flawed methods with clear data bias)

THE FORMER EDITOR of Microsoft Watch does not want to believe it, but the poll speaks for itself (not providing an accurate measure but a mere data point):

Twenty five percent. Well, 25.82 percent to be exact, so closer to 26. That's the number of respondents claiming to be Linux PC users in my poll: "How would you identify yourself as a computer user?" The number is seemingly credible: 2,014 votes from 94 countries -- 988 from the United States. There are 1,858 unique IP addresses, which along with cookies blocking repeat votes suggests the results are largely clean of Linux enthusiasts stuffing the ballot box, so to speak. Something else: After the poll reached the 25 percent Linux PC threshold, it stayed there even as votes accumulated -- that's another indicator the results are good. But I don't believe them, certainly not that only 60 percent of respondents are Windows PC users.

The word "belief" or "believe" often implies faith over science (he also uses this word in the headline). Over at Microsoft Watch, back when he was its sole editor there were more comments from GNU/Linux users than from Windows users, says Tim from OpenBytes. It became somewhat of an embarrassment for a site called Microsoft Watch and we talked about it last week in an episode of TechBytes. Here is our Wiki page about market share. ⬆