Define Linux Success
As you can see from this article, some people feel strongly that if you are not seeing massive adoption rates, then clearly the operating system in question must be a failure at some level. Those of us who use the operating system described in the above article, would ask the author to point out at what point we are to consider Linux a success?
Do we consider it successful when it saves a school thousands of dollars that can now be spent elsewhere? Perhaps when it provides work for open source consultants who make their living providing services surrounding this sort of software?
For me, I have long considered desktop Linux successful due to the fact that it has saved me so much money over the past few years that I lost track in software/hardware savings. As for money, I have been able to earn a few dollars along the way. Using my Linux skills, I was able to purchase a house and a new car. Can’t seem to remember my skills with the other two operating systems leading me to the same result for some reason…
7 Comments
Heaven on Earth - Geek Style | Chris Pirillo
July 23rd, 2009
at 1:34am
[...] Can you define the success of Linux? [...]
Joe
July 23rd, 2009
at 5:28am
From a purely personal point of view, it saved my laptop. Hard drive died and I’ve been running on Puppy for the last 2 weeks until I can buy another drive. I also have to other old boxes running DSL and Vector respectively. So I suppose it’s a convenience thing, I would be down to one box running XP otherwise. I consider that my work/productivity machine, couldn’t run Linux exclusively and still be productive.
Pat
July 23rd, 2009
at 6:35am
Linux is a good OS for powering a server, but most non-computer people don’t want to learn the Unix/BSD/Linux command line. So Linux does just fine on servers, but most home or business computer owners use Windows or OSX graphical interfaces..
Dean
July 23rd, 2009
at 8:49am
Not to mention that a geek is never satisfied, and Linux provides a pretty big playground without having to invest money. The time invested turned out to be the most fulfilling thing for the years that I used it as my primary desktop and I’m fairly sure I’ll use it again at some point as well. Too often people are critical and don’t realise that for someone like me its been just another toy, as is the latest game console or speed boat, or whatever, for the next guy.
DedRyzing
July 23rd, 2009
at 10:47am
It is hard to measure a non-commercial product against commercial benchmarks. Linux has never been about money, market share or corporate domination. Linux is about freedom and choice.
Putting the fact that I run Linux and have a system that I built the way I want it to do the things I want it to. Linux success goes much deeper. As the author states, Linux success is about saving a school thousands which can be put elsewhere. Success is also giving the opportunity to those less fortunate in the world access to the Internet and global knowledge, and perhaps a brighter future.
Success is also gaining as much attention and usage as it has solely on it’s own merit, not because of some well funded PR campaign / marketing department.
To me, this is what makes Linux successful.
Gordonian
July 23rd, 2009
at 12:12pm
You must be lucky! If I had to go with linux to live I’d be long dead by now! Microsoft products by nature allow me to have my house, car, and steady income, something linux and the mac will never do over here.
eReader ourWorld ~ Windows Fanatics
July 23rd, 2009
at 2:58pm
[...] Can you define the success of Linux? [...]