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Re: [News] The Key to Linux Adoption at Home is Linux at Work

Roy Schestowitz wrote: 

> Why Linux isn't mainstream
> 
> ,----[ Quote ]
>| First, the home computer. People at home generally want to
>| use an OS compatible with what they use at work. Linux
>| isn't at work, so it isn't at home. Additionally, you
>| can't easily play many commercial games on Linux. An
>| overwhelming majority of retail PC games are released for
>| Windows only. Those PC games that are also released for 
>| other operating systems are usually released for Windows
>| and MacIntosh. It's rare that a retail PC game is released
>| for Linux. 
>| 
>| But the primary reason that more home users aren't on
>| Linux is because they don't use Linux at work. So the work
>| environment is the root of the problem.
> `----
> 
>         http://os.newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=06/07/17/1535
>         230&from=rss 
> 
> Same can probably apply to school (e.g. every student can
> take/afford OpenOffice for home use). Each corporate
> migration to Linux and OSS gives people skills that bridge
> the habitual gap. 

Overall, author has a point.  My current employer is a Windows 
only shop and games I enjoy are Windows only, which is why I 
have a dual boot system.

However, with emphasis on streamlining costs, I believe 
employers are now considering alternatives.  This is 
especially in light of the cost of licensing Microsoft 
Windows.

There is more and more emphasis on international operations 
and international compatibility.

Singapore Government has migrated to Open Office suite from 
Microsoft Office.  China has implemented wide spread Linux 
desktops and servers.  Massachussets and various European 
countries and cities are looking to Open Document format for 
vendor independent document access.

University students are more familiar with Linux and will have 
an impact on the working world they enter.  Linux has a wealth 
of applications for learning compiled and interpreted 
languages, data bases, electrical, civil and mechanical 
engineering analysis programs available at no or low cost.  A 
student needing a PC can install Linux on an older machine and 
still have the office automation and web functions at a within 
budget of a college student, which is perfectly legal.

I believe we will see a shift over the next 5 to 10 years.  
Growth of Linux and Open Source will not be linear, it will be 
exponential.

--
HPT

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