Linux ready for the desktop? How about now?

June 23, 2009 · by Eric Sorenson

For quite a while now, Linux enthusiasts have been predicting the arrival of the “Year of Linux,” at which time they anticipate that the operating system will come to enjoy widespread use among the desktops of both consumers and the corporate world. In their view, this will finally put an end to the aging Wintel Duopoly. Recently, Windows has actually recovered some of its lost ground over Linux, as netbook buyers have tended to return a purchased machine with a highly-tuned Linux distribution in favor of one with the outdated, slower, but more familiar, Windows XP.

The time for Linux is coming, but it’s not going to arrive via the standard Gnome or KDE desktop environments. The big threat to the seemingly invincible Microsoft stronghold will accompany the current rise in popularity of the smartphone. The Linux kernel has already made progress in the smartphone world, with both Google’s Android and Palm’s WebOS on board. The biggest hurdle for any OS trying to gain market share is user interface familiarity. When a smartphone OS becomes familiar and comfortable to millions of people, based on their mobile phone usage, it will be much easier to chip away at Windows’ lead for their desktops. After using an Android phone for a some time to manage emails while on the go, it will make sense to manage emails with the Android OS while in the office. At some point, we’ll be connecting a larger screen, keyboard and mouse to our smartphones, and thus eliminate the need for a separate desktop machine or laptop altogether.

Attempts at merging the gap between the smartphone and the desktop are already being attempted. While they’re not likely to be wildly successful yet, they do illustrate a possible future for the world of personal computing, in which Linux is a popular choice.

For more information, check out:
http://moblin.org/
http://www.tecspeak.com/gadgets/pcs/acer-aspire-one-android-netbook

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