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0 pointsdigi_owl10y ago0 comments

> Microsoft finally got a handle on security & software quality just as the world ceased to care about them.

Not quite. They got a handle on security when Linux list a fire under their ass.

Competition, true honest to market competition, spurs improvement.

The thing about Apple is that they may have competition on hardware, but they have no competition on Software.

If you buy a Mac or a iPhone, you have already thrown money at Apple. But you can easily assemble a PC without Windows and then install Linux on it.

Keep in mind that the latest US warship is not running Windows, but RHEL. That is a very big wake up call for Microsoft, where before we have seen the likes of Win2k (US ship) and XP (UK submarine) used around the world.

0 comments

VeilEm10y ago

> They got a handle on security when Linux list a fire under their ass.

I have my doubts that all 0.02% or whatever of PC users who are dedicated to using Linux as their desktop OS influenced Microsoft to do anything but if you have data to show otherwise I'd be interested in it.

ethbro10y ago

I'd assume parent was thinking less of PC users and more of other OS consumers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_operating_syste...

digi_owlOP10y ago

And those are the public ones.

BTW, i seem to recall that the London Stock Exchange had a spectacular failure when they went with Windows. The result being that they switched to Linux with in a year or two of bringing their brand new Windows system online.

Ah yes, found it: http://www.computerworld.com/article/2467082/data-center/lon...

digi_owlOP10y ago

Desktop smesktop. For MS the desktop has always been a means to an end. Its have been about "total cost of ownership", where they can claim people need less training before being productive at their new job.

But to manage all those desktops you need server, and with MS the billing pr active user etc.

tosseraccount10y ago

"if you have data to show otherwise I'd be interested in it." ...

Some data says Linux desktop/laptop share is 1.5% (not counting chromebooks)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_operating_syste...

Please note also that Android is Linux and iOS is Darwin BSD unix.

Linux and Unix based kernels are more numerous than Windows based units.

pjmlp10y ago

The fact that iOS and Android have a UNIX like kernel doesn't count much if the majority of userspace apps use non UNIX APIs and tooling.

They could replace the kernel with something else and most devs wouldn't even notice.

avz10y ago

> 0.02% or whatever of PC users who are dedicated to using Linux as their desktop OS

Wikipedia: 1.5% [1] NetMarketShare: 1.71% [2] W3Schools: 5.6% [3]

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_operating_syste... [2] https://www.netmarketshare.com/operating-system-market-share... [3] http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_os.asp

lunula10y ago

I don't know about Linux influencing Microsoft on the desktop, but surely it has lit it up on the server. You are 100% trolling by claiming 0.02% of PC folks use Linux. It is at least two orders of magnitude higher than that, and then android... :)

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kllrnohj10y ago

The obvious example would be netbooks. MSFT moved very fast to counter Linux on that front.

NicoJuicy10y ago

Not exactly, oem pc's have ( mostly ) an oem version of Windows on it ( which is pretty cheap, don't know what other incentives microsoft has though).

But you can install Linux on it for sure :)

iamcreasy10y ago

I had to pay $100 extra for the Windows license that came with my Lenovo Ideapad.

And Lenovo wouldn't let me buy their laptop without the windows license.

digi_owlOP10y ago

Yep, sure can.

https://access.redhat.com/ecosystem/search/#/vendor/Lenovo?s...

NicoJuicy10y ago

Mostly ;)

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=n%3A565108%2Cp_n_o...

(amazon shop --Laptop -- PC )

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VeilEm10y ago

> They got a handle on security when Linux list a fire under their ass.

ethbro10y ago

I'd assume parent was thinking less of PC users and more of other OS consumers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_operating_syste...

digi_owlOP10y ago

And those are the public ones.

Ah yes, found it: http://www.computerworld.com/article/2467082/data-center/lon...

digi_owlOP10y ago

But to manage all those desktops you need server, and with MS the billing pr active user etc.

tosseraccount10y ago

"if you have data to show otherwise I'd be interested in it." ...

Some data says Linux desktop/laptop share is 1.5% (not counting chromebooks)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_operating_syste...

Please note also that Android is Linux and iOS is Darwin BSD unix.

Linux and Unix based kernels are more numerous than Windows based units.

pjmlp10y ago

The fact that iOS and Android have a UNIX like kernel doesn't count much if the majority of userspace apps use non UNIX APIs and tooling.

They could replace the kernel with something else and most devs wouldn't even notice.

avz10y ago

> 0.02% or whatever of PC users who are dedicated to using Linux as their desktop OS

Wikipedia: 1.5% [1] NetMarketShare: 1.71% [2] W3Schools: 5.6% [3]

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_operating_syste... [2] https://www.netmarketshare.com/operating-system-market-share... [3] http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_os.asp

lunula10y ago

1 more reply

kllrnohj10y ago

The obvious example would be netbooks. MSFT moved very fast to counter Linux on that front.

NicoJuicy10y ago

Not exactly, oem pc's have ( mostly ) an oem version of Windows on it ( which is pretty cheap, don't know what other incentives microsoft has though).

But you can install Linux on it for sure :)

iamcreasy10y ago

I had to pay $100 extra for the Windows license that came with my Lenovo Ideapad.

And Lenovo wouldn't let me buy their laptop without the windows license.

digi_owlOP10y ago

Yep, sure can.

https://access.redhat.com/ecosystem/search/#/vendor/Lenovo?s...

NicoJuicy10y ago

Mostly ;)

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=n%3A565108%2Cp_n_o...

(amazon shop --Laptop -- PC )

1 more reply

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