Linux vs. Mac: The Pitched Battle for Second Place

Source: OS Opinion

We all know who makes the world's most popular desktop OS. With a greater than 90 percent market share, Microsoft's (Nasdaq: MSFT) status is clear. But what's not so clear is: Who's number two? Of the contenders, Mac OS and Linux, which one is leading?

Until recently, this question made no sense. Macintosh was inarguably number two. Does Linux have hundreds of retail outlets dedicated to selling its OS? Has Linux ever been promoted with a Super Bowl ad? (No, but I'd like to see a Linux Super Bowl ad, perhaps featuring Linus Torvalds and Eminem rapping together.)

In 2003, though, you can feel the two systems' momentum shifting fast. Every week brings new headlines trumpeting Linux' ascendance. Yes, it has a paltry 2 percent desktop share, but it's now mass marketed through Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) .

And Macintosh? Once in the double digits, Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) market share has fallen to a tiny 3.5 percent. The company just released a new browser, Safari, that only runs on Macs with OS X , or about 0.6 percent of all Internet-connected computers.

When a major computer maker releases a browser intended for 0.6 percent of users, it's not a good sign.

So that's the scene at the moment: Linux in ascendance, Macintosh fading. At this point, they're fighting for the number two spot almost as equals. Long term, who will win? Let's take a look.