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The Evolution of Linux

Bleeding Edge

from the technology-mimics-biology dept

Mon, Oct 23rd 2000 2:41pm — Ryan
Linux will never beat Windows as the leading desktop OS. However, this unspecialised disadvantage on the PC is rapidly becoming an advantage for its use in other computing applications. Linux is currently going through a process biologists call adaptive radiation, it's spreading into various computing niches due to the high adaptability of its kernel. Linux may lose to Windows on the desktop but in the era of ubiquitous computing it will be a ferocious challenger for Microsoft.
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12 Comments

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  • identicon
    Linux Geek, 23 Oct 2000 @ 4:15pm

    Interesting...

    I've noticed a lot of activities going on in the periphery of linux computing into alternative computing devices but I have to agree that the future of Linux (even though we all hate to admit) it will never be mainstream.

    BR

    Damn...I'm going to have to start using Windows again!

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 23 Oct 2000 @ 5:39pm

      Re: Interesting...

      Woudln't it suck that Mac OS X out-shipped Linux, thus placing BSD in front of Linux

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Andy, 23 Oct 2000 @ 7:10pm

      Re: Interesting...

      I've noticed a lot of activities going on in the periphery of linux computing into alternative computing devices but I have to agree that the future of Linux (even though we all hate to admit) it will never be mainstream.


      Damn...I'm going to have to start using Windows again!
      Not necessarily... it seems likely that Linux will become accepted by corporate IT departments, thus it will become increasingly easy to use Linux if you want to. I haven't used Windows for three years... but I'm lucky to work at a company where all the technical people use Linux as their desktop. We're a small, recently aquired, branch (twig?) of a cable company... but even the centralized product development group uses Unix for their desktops (usually Solaris).

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    mhh5, 23 Oct 2000 @ 6:17pm

    Does the OS matter anymore?

    I wonder why no one has "reverse engineered" MSOffice for platforms other than Win & Mac. (Assuming that it's possible to do!) Then no one would really care what OS they were using. Most people don't anyway. I think the only reason why Linux won't approach the desktop market is b/c no one has MS-compatible software for it.... Maybe when MS gets broken up, MSLinux will take over.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      u2604ab, 23 Oct 2000 @ 7:04pm

      Re: Does the OS matter anymore?

      MSLinux???? If that happens, I'll take up arms against the oppressor. Mark my words- If MS gets into linux they will destroy everything good about it.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • icon
      Mike (profile), 23 Oct 2000 @ 7:30pm

      Re: Does the OS matter anymore?

      mhh5 writes: I wonder why no one has "reverse engineered" MSOffice for platforms other than Win & Mac. (Assuming that it's possible to do!) Then no one would really care what OS they were using. Most people don't anyway. I think the only reason why Linux won't approach the desktop market is b/c no one has MS-compatible software for it.... Maybe when MS gets broken up, MSLinux will take over.

      Um, StarOffice anyone?

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        mhh5, 23 Oct 2000 @ 11:04pm

        Re: Does the OS matter anymore?

        I didn't think StarOffice was fully compatible *with the same look-and-feel* of MSOffice... Is it? That's what I meant by "reverse engineer" MSOffice. There are already plenty of "office suite applications" that are semi-compatible with MSOffice. But no one uses them b/c the GUIs are slightly different, and no one wants to "re-learn" another spreadsheet, word processor, etc...

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          mhh5, 23 Oct 2000 @ 11:19pm

          BTW...

          Somewhat non sequitar thought here: the "new" Mac MSOffice is a really bad idea for Apple, I think. It will only exclude MacOS from *Ever* being an office computer. It's all fine and dandy to say "hey, it's MS-compatible, but it's got the look and feel of a mac!", but it's exactly that difference that prevents Macs from really entering the workplace. Administrative assistants do not like "new, improved" interfaces....

          I'm pretty sure that's the whole reason behind making a separate Mac edition. MS wants Macs to be a neat little *home* computer for the kiddies since no one will want to do office work on them.... There's already a MS-compatible suite of applications that has a "Mac look&feel" -- it's called AppleWorks. And no one uses it.

          [ link to this | view in chronology ]

          • identicon
            L, 24 Oct 2000 @ 4:28am

            Re: BTW...

            Funny you should say that about Admin assistants - I was talking to one of ours today and she has had her Mac replaced by a Windows machine and was saying how ghastly and hard to use she thought the interface was......

            L.

            [ link to this | view in chronology ]

            • identicon
              Ryan, 24 Oct 2000 @ 7:58am

              Re: BTW...

              I was wondering if anyone uses a MAC for business purposes (or Linux for that matter)? I know all the techies here at work use linux and some designers use MACs but I haven't meet one business guy that uses Linux (as their main OS)?

              [ link to this | view in chronology ]


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