Comments

• Michael

  2014-04-25 22:24:45

  Your article is right on the money! I give MS and Apple six months before they both declare bankruptcy. Heck, look at Apple's finical report from a few days ago where they hemorrhaged almost a billion dollars. That is not sustainable.
  
  Wait. No. I just left your world and came back to the real one. They did great. And that is without having any big product announcements other than the Mac Pro in a long time.
  
  But, hey, desktop Linux is free, readily available, runs on most hardware - and may someday get to 2% desktop usage!

• Wayne Borean

  2014-04-28 00:26:26

  Ask the Chinese what they think. If they decide to dump Windows XP for Linux, it will be up to 10% in no time.
  
  Oh, wait. Linux is at 57% market share!.
  
  What planet are you from Michael?
  
  Wayne

• Michael

  2014-04-28 03:35:01

  Linux is great. It serves well in the server room, in embedded devices, in mobile devices (even if Android is largely a copy of iOS), and elsewhere.
  
  On the desktop, though, it is at less than 2%. And, if you look at my comment, you will see I am very clear in specifying "desktop Linux".
  
  Both Apple and MS have lots of challenges… and they might hurt as time goes by. Heck, Apple has had such an amazing decade or so it is hard to believe it shall continue (I have been predicting their fortune will turn around for years - each time I have been wrong but someday I will be right). But desktop Linux is a non-starter. It is simply not in the game. It offers too little choice (other than some task management stuff which it handles fairly well, but even then the quality is often low) and too low of quality in general.

• Wayne Borean

  2014-04-30 01:10:58

  Michael,
  
  The "Desktop" no longer matters. It has been superseded.
  
  Oh, devices will still be sold that use the Desktop, but the numbers are falling. Eventually it will be a sideshow.
  
  Wayne

• Michael

  2014-04-30 01:59:50

  The desktop matters greatly. But even in other areas Linux is still struggling (though I think it has a good future). Look at Android (Linux based). Google had to go back to the drawing board once they saw the iPhone, and even today if you look at how the devices are used, even with Android having a massive market share, they are still behind in online usage (more devices, less usage - not good), and - for developers - less ad revenue. Android is still largely on feature phones. Again, though, I think it is a fine choice and over time it will do better and better. Google is learning the value of controlling their ecosystem to reduce fracturing (sometimes to the point of disallowing their partners to sell forks of Android - something they may very well get in trouble with the law for), and they are pushing Apple to open up more and do better. This is good for the consumer, no matter who "wins" in the long run. I am fine with that. If Apple does not innovate they deserve to be left behind.