Future and impact of ongoing projects in Linux world

[Xen]

JMZ schreef op 10-10-2016 11:58:

> The vast majority of consumer boxes run Windows because of
> Microsoft's bundling deal with the manufacturers.  It's nothing really
> to do with Windows performance or ease of use (both of which are
> poor).  It's just that Mr./Ms. Everyday User doesn't really know much
> about computers, plugs the box in, and just uses what's presented to
> him/her.

That's not really true. The vast majority of people would go screaming 
for a Windows or Mac PC if they had Linux preinstalled.

The level of system maintenance I would have to give to my family for a 
Linux box is about 95%.

The level of system maintenance for an ordinary Windows machine 
(provided it worked like Windows XP or Windows 7) would probably be some 
20% for Windows XP and some 25% for Windows 7. That would mean that they 
could do some 75% of maintenance tasks themselves, such as adding a new 
user, changing power settings, moving their files around, installing 
Dropbox, and my brother and sister could perfectly handle installing a 
printer. Setting up OneDrive... those things I would never need to do 
for any of them.

If you gave people the choice of Windows for pay or Linux for free I bet 
some would choose to experiment with Linux. Perhaps 25% would be willing 
to try it at least once, I'm not sure, as long as they could return the 
thing and get Windows on it at the second chance.



> "Just works" is a fantasy.  There's plenty of Windows programs which
> don't "just work" -- I spend my days bouncing from one Windows box to
> another, trying to iron out small bugs or teach panicky users simple
> tasks.

This is more said of the Mac than of Windows. Mac users use those terms 
to differentiate between Windows and their own systems.