[Ham-Linux] Take ACER Off and question on another topic

[match at ece.utah.edu]

On 30 Jul 2009 at 13:09, ron wrote:

> On Thursday 30 July 2009 01:16:44 pm kd4e wrote:
>  
> >
> > BTW:  Linux is vastly larger than 0.03% of the market --
> > that's a MS
> > invented number.
>  
> I thought so.The numbers don't "jive" counting the private businesses, 
> governments and not to mention IP servers using Linux beside us!

Actually, the number I stated was 0.3%, not 0.03%, but it doesn't matter, 
since I was just trying to make a point, and considering only installations in 
front of users, not servers, routers, appliances, etc.

And as has been pointed out, Linux market share depends upon who you 
ask. 2.2% gets tossed around, but the last "semi official" poll I remember 
hearing stated that Linux had finally reached the magic 1% mark on the 
desktop. Wasn't that just this last spring? It was a big deal in Linux circles at 
the time, fueled largely by the "Netbook" market. Linux has since LOST 
market share by some accounts.

So, pick a number. I personally believe the 1% number, or maybe less. It 
seems higher to us because we're geeks and Linux fanatics, and so are all 
our friends. 

Here at the University of Utah we have 29,000 students and 17,000 faculty 
and staff. The students in some disciplines are REQUIRED to take Microsoft 
classes. We hold our Linux users group meetings and our Ubuntu users 
group meetings in the College of Engineering. The Linux group attracts 
perhaps 30 attendees on a good day, the Ubuntu group half that. 

Now obviously there are more than 30 Linux users on this campus, but the 
last time I observed a meeting of the Microsoft guys the attendance was over 
350 (admittedly some time back, but the population was smaller as well 
then). 

I know of only one staff member who uses Linux exclusively, (I'm sure there 
are more here in the College of Engineering, but I don't happen to know 
them) and he happens to work for me. The rest of us all dual-boot. You'd 
think that if there were a cluster of Linux users at this University they'd be 
concentrated more in the College of Engineering (which includes the School 
of Computing) than elsewhere, wouldn't you?

Whatever the number, even at 2.2% Linux is no threat to the Microsoft 
empire, and the Linux market share is certainly nowhere near 10%. I wish it 
were, but it is not.

Marvin
KA7TPH