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Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

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Re: Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

#551

Post by const_cast »

scarface_74 wrote: post #331
itsoktocry wrote: post #206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> everyone I know has moved to their general computing being on phones and tablets And of the remaining desktop/laptop users, 90% of their work is being done in a browser. Which makes Linux distros like Ubuntu suitable for more people.

If you are doing all of your work in a browser anyway, you might as well use a less finicky iPad with longer battery life with a regular Bluetooth keyboard and mouse. Why would I recommend a Linux system?

A few reasons:

1. iPadOS is kind of ass. Multi-tasking is lacking, cursor support is ehhh, and applications are still dumbed-down. This means more clicks, more actions, to do the same thing.

2. Bluetooth is ass, trust me I know. Thing will disconnect and you will need to manually reconnect them. I don't know why in the year 2025 bluetooth isn't completely seamless, but it isn't.

3. Rinky-dink keyboard and real keyboard is night and day. I've used those iPad keyboards. They suck.

Re: Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

#552

Post by const_cast »

mathiaspoint wrote: post #550
const_cast wrote: post #548

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> But I can easily do all of those things just as conveniently on my phone. Well no, the UI on a phone is severely dumbed down because it has to work with a smaller screen and touch input. You can do the same stuff, sometimes, but with more effort. Like, I could program on my phone, if I wanted. But that would suck major ass. It has the same capabilities, but certainly nowhere near the convenience. Even just running…

Programming on a phone is actually pretty amazing if you can run a good overlapping window manager and an OS that won't randomly kill background tasks. I had a phone running Linux for a while and it was great I wrote a ton of unit tests for my side projects on it while taking the train. One time I was out and ran into some UI issue and fixed it right there on the bus. There's nothing like that now and everything that…

I'm sure, because phone have multiple problems. One is the software, usually it's fisher-price levels of dumbed down. Buttons are huge because people have fat fingers.

So we can fix the software, but we still have hardware limitations. The hardware is small. The screen is small. There's no keyboard, only buttons on said screen. I can open a document on my phone, yes. But I see 1/10th the content I would on a computer screen - just because the screen is very small. I mean, we have these super high resolution displays... running at 400% scaling. Meanwhile, I have 1440p running at 100% on my computer.

That's, like, a lot more stuff that can be on the screen.

Re: Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

#553

Post by const_cast »

BLKNSLVR wrote: post #277

I had a Teams meeting for an outside of work topic this morning. Since all my personal machines are Linux based I was kinda happy I had my work laptop available with Windows and Teams installed. Booting it up about half an hour before the meeting... Installing updates... After rebooting twice and only five minutes before the meeting started I reverted to my Linux desktop, opened the email with the link to the Teams m…

Microsoft used to have a Teams for Linux application. It was identical to the Windows application because it's just an Electron app, but shockingly it was buggy on Linux (???) I don't even know how... I mean, Microsoft chose a cross-platform framework. They must've written some stupid ass code that isn't portable, at which point why not use one of the dozen Microsoft GUI frameworks available?

Re: Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

#554

Post by const_cast »

Workaccount2 wrote: post #100

Linux will be stuck in the 5% range as long as people who love Linux are the ones making Linux. You still cannot crtl+V in the terminal. No faster way to scare off users than give them a CLI heavy OS and have the trip over the very first copy+paste command they try to run (once they figure out the circa ~1982 cursor) I really cannot say enough about the total fumble of Linux distros in an age when people are more des…

The reason Linux won't take off is because Windows users have unrealistic expectations. They define "intuitive" as "works like Windows".

But Windows is not intuitive - it's, possibly, the least intuitive operating system to ever exist. It's just familiar.

But it's a Catch 22. If Linux is like Windows, then there's zero reason to use it. Just use Windows. But if Linux is not like Windows, then it's not familiar.

The solution is to reframe your expectations. If you expect Linux to work like Windows, you will be disappointed - and rightfully so. Nobody expects MacOS to work like Windows, no, you adapt.

Re: Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

#555

Post by mathiaspoint »

const_cast wrote: post #552
mathiaspoint wrote: post #550

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Programming on a phone is actually pretty amazing if you can run a good overlapping window manager and an OS that won't randomly kill background tasks. I had a phone running Linux for a while and it was great I wrote a ton of unit tests for my side projects on it while taking the train. One time I was out and ran into some UI issue and fixed it right there on the bus. There's nothing like that now and everything that…

I'm sure, because phone have multiple problems. One is the software, usually it's fisher-price levels of dumbed down. Buttons are huge because people have fat fingers. So we can fix the software, but we still have hardware limitations. The hardware is small. The screen is small. There's no keyboard, only buttons on said screen. I can open a document on my phone, yes. But I see 1/10th the content I would on a computer…

Modern phone hardware is incredible. Often the most powerful computer people own these days is their smartphone because it's so good.

And I ran my phone with unit scaling. You don't need everything blown up to 400% especially with keyboard driven UIs.

Re: Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

#556

Post by scarface_74 »

const_cast wrote: post #551
scarface_74 wrote: post #331

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you are doing all of your work in a browser anyway, you might as well use a less finicky iPad with longer battery life with a regular Bluetooth keyboard and mouse. Why would I recommend a Linux system?

A few reasons: 1. iPadOS is kind of ass. Multi-tasking is lacking, cursor support is ehhh, and applications are still dumbed-down. This means more clicks, more actions, to do the same thing. 2. Bluetooth is ass, trust me I know. Thing will disconnect and you will need to manually reconnect them. I don't know why in the year 2025 bluetooth isn't completely seamless, but it isn't. 3. Rinky-dink keyboard and real keyboa…

We are talking about people who want to use the web for everything and real windowing, menus etc is coming to iPads this fall

2. Bluetooth works fine. I haven’t ever needed to re-pair my Bluetooth keyboard to my Mac or iPad

3. The iPad works with any random Bluetooth keyboard and mouse. Bluetooth keyboard support has been available on the iPad since 2010. Bluetooth mouse support has been available for 7 years+.

If you have problems with Bluetooth keyboards, that says more about other operating systems. I’ve used them since my G4 Mac Mini in 2006.

Re: Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

#557

Post by const_cast »

scarface_74 wrote: post #556
const_cast wrote: post #551

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A few reasons: 1. iPadOS is kind of ass. Multi-tasking is lacking, cursor support is ehhh, and applications are still dumbed-down. This means more clicks, more actions, to do the same thing. 2. Bluetooth is ass, trust me I know. Thing will disconnect and you will need to manually reconnect them. I don't know why in the year 2025 bluetooth isn't completely seamless, but it isn't. 3. Rinky-dink keyboard and real keyboa…

We are talking about people who want to use the web for everything and real windowing, menus etc is coming to iPads this fall 2. Bluetooth works fine. I haven’t ever needed to re-pair my Bluetooth keyboard to my Mac or iPad 3. The iPad works with any random Bluetooth keyboard and mouse. Bluetooth keyboard support has been available on the iPad since 2010. Bluetooth mouse support has been available for 7 years+. If yo…

I've used an iPhone. I know, for me, bluetooth does not work fine. It drops somewhat frequently.

As for keyboards and mice, sure, they work, but what's the point? If we have to attach a keyboard to an iPad and carry it around as it's own thing, then a laptop is more convenient. It has a keyboard, mouse, and screen all built in one thing. No bluetooth required, no charging required.

Re: Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

#558

Post by const_cast »

mathiaspoint wrote: post #555
const_cast wrote: post #552

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sure, because phone have multiple problems. One is the software, usually it's fisher-price levels of dumbed down. Buttons are huge because people have fat fingers. So we can fix the software, but we still have hardware limitations. The hardware is small. The screen is small. There's no keyboard, only buttons on said screen. I can open a document on my phone, yes. But I see 1/10th the content I would on a computer…

Modern phone hardware is incredible. Often the most powerful computer people own these days is their smartphone because it's so good. And I ran my phone with unit scaling. You don't need everything blown up to 400% especially with keyboard driven UIs.

I'll have to try Plasma Mobile sometime. I've been using KDE for 10 years now, and I love it. Very excited to see how Linux on smartphones progresses.

Re: Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

#559

Post by scarface_74 »

const_cast wrote: post #548
scarface_74 wrote: post #327

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had my first personal computer in 1986. But I can easily do all of those things just as conveniently on my phone. 90% of tax payers claim the standard deduction. That means filing your taxes just means going to Turbo tax and it importing your W2’s automatically if your employer uses one of the major payment providers like ADP or worse case taking a picture of your W2, clicking “Next” a few times after answering a f…

> But I can easily do all of those things just as conveniently on my phone. Well no, the UI on a phone is severely dumbed down because it has to work with a smaller screen and touch input. You can do the same stuff, sometimes, but with more effort. Like, I could program on my phone, if I wanted. But that would suck major ass. It has the same capabilities, but certainly nowhere near the convenience. Even just running…

What do I need to see on my phone that I can’t when I am doing my taxes or even more so planning a trip - which I do a lot of?

I launch the Delta app as a Delta loyalist (Platinum Medallion) to book my flight. I then launch the Hilton app (I am Hilton Diamond) and compare prices/convenience with hotels with Hyatt (I am Hyatt Explorist).

The only exception was when we were looking for an AirBnb for an extended stay in Costa Rica next year.

Re: Linux Reaches 5% Desktop Market Share in USA

#560

Post by AgentElement »

This is not surprising, and further growth is inevitable. I am heavily involved in a local Linux users group, and the number of people switching away from Windows increases every year. Anecdotal, of course, but Microsoft's enshittification of Windows makes the argument in favor of a free OS easier every year too.
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