Re: Linux Users

[Kevin McKinley <ronin2@bellatlantic.net>]

On Thu, 01 May 2003 12:32:15 +0100
"John Bright" <jbrightest@hotmail.com> wrote:

> I am doing an article for my college newsletter where I have to write 
> something about "The Evolution of Linux". I need to support my paper with 
> numbers in favor of Linux as compared to solaris or other flavors of unix.

Others will suggest places to get numbers (I hope).

If there's room in your article you might make the point that numbers aren't
very reliable for showing the number of users for various operating systems.

In the Windows world, numbers of licenses are used and since just about
every computer is sold with a Windows license, everybody is a Windows user
(according to Microsoft).

OTOH in the Linux world sales figures are useless, since anyone can buy one
boxed set and install any number of copies. In fact you can download most
Linux distributions and install any number of copies.b

I count as about five Windows users even though I don't have much use for
Windows. I have Linux installed on several systems but they don't get
counted.

The people who use Linux the most are the ones least likely to buy it
(they're technically proficient enough that they don't need the
hand-holding); they are also the ones least likely to register each box with
the Linux Counter.

Kevin