Novell: Linux desktop set to take off
Linux on desktop computers will begin taking off in mainstream markets in the next 12 to 18 months, Novell President Ron Hovsepian has predicted.
Linux has been widely used on networked computers called servers, but it has comparatively little success on personal computers, beyond technically savvy users. Many companies have argued the open-source operating system is on the verge of breaking out in PCs and have been proven wrong. But Hovsepian sees some changes that he believes make the market ripe.
He's not the first to make such bold predictions, but so far Linux hasn't caught on widely beyond a small, technically savvy minority. Several companies--among them Corel, Linspire (formerly Lindows), Eazel and Suse itself--haven't dented Microsoft Windows' dominance.
Hovsepian believes that Novell's software--he pointed to his company's own forthcoming Suse Linux Desktop 10--has matured enough that three markets will be interested, he said in an interview here Friday. L33tdawg: I think we've all heard this 'Linux is going to take off' story several times over the last 3 years. Yet, time and time again it has just failed to happen. Honestly, I'd say the MAJORITY of desktop users fear the thought of having to wrestle with a Linux installation when something gets fscked. They'd much rather stay with the familiarity of Windows; warts and all. Unless Novell (or any of the other Linux distributors) are going to come up with a KILLER APP to make users want to switch to Linux, I sincerely doubt we're going to see a Linux desktop boom - ever.
