Linux Is Everywhere - Deal With It
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I will yield to Microsoft as remaining king of the desktop. Not because of it being better or worse, rather it maintains a massive market share. So it is a matter of sheer numbers on the desktop. But did you know that you likely experience Linux every day and are totally unaware of it? Yes, from the POS systems at your local coffee shop, to the casino that you just blew $50 bucks on with its slot machines. Just watching this video will blow your mind. Those penny slots are actually powered by a highly customized Linux distro.
And of course, if you are using Google, you are using Linux once again. In addition to that, there are governments all over the world switching nearly everything they do over to customized desktop and server Linux solutions. ATM machines in places like Brazil are already running Linux. Oh, did I mention schools? And trust me, this is hardly an isolated case.
So the message I would like each of you to take with you is that there is a world of Linux going far beyond your desktop experience with a limited number of distros you might have experienced. To point out that Linux is not ready for prime time is not only naive, it is factually untrue. It’s been used by the mainstream without many people even knowing it.
As for its success or failure on the desktop, I only need point to Amazon and Netflix. Long-tail, folks. Success is not always measured in sheer market volume. As Netflix and Amazon have demonstrated, one person’s crap is another person’s treasure. I, myself, have been using Ubuntu full time for years and have not looked back once. I am in the minority, which oddly enough has given me opportunities for learning that most can not even conceive of. Am I wanting to see Linux on the desktop go mainstream as well? Nope, couldn’t care less about it. Why worry about what everyone else is using when I am able to do everything I need plus some with very little hassle? Just something to think about next time you hear some idiot statement backed up with nothing more than limited personal experiences about a given product.