does linux have a future?

with windows 7 does linux have a future as a desktop system?

 

Only for people that are too cheap to buy Windows or don't care about gaming & prefer a more complicated OS.

 

That wasn't biased....

But anyways, as long as there are hard core open-source users it will still be there. and live disks can be great for repairs.

 

Not really biased at all.
I have used both Windows & Linux. Everything I said is true. Linux does have it's place, but it is harder to use & doesn't really come close to supporting the amount of games that Windows does.

I would never use Linux as my main OS. I'd rather use an OS that just works with everything I do on a PC.

 

I don't see Linux ever doing well on the desktop. The open source model just does not mix well with a closed source business world; leaving you stuck with coded in free time applications that cannot be used for anything of critical importance unless it is corporate owned and run (with a couple exceptions). That in addition to forcing businesses that do offer Linux applications to QA against the thousands of possible desktop environments / kernel versions / lib versions / etc is just a death sentence to any business looking to make money on a Linux desktop application.

It's a nice ideal, but it just doesn't work.

On the server, they will have a niche for quite a while I'm sure.

 

Windows 7 isn't all that different from any other Windows. There haven't been any real fundamental changes that make it more attractive to the people who love Linux. Things should continue roughly as they always have.

 

open source always has m8!!!!as 4 linux its the most powerfull os more than windows u can do so much things if u know how to use it!!!!!!!!

 

Is it just me or do these sorts of discussions always seem to take place right around the release of a new Windows OS? It just like whenever a new batch of consoles are released and people start proclaiming PC gaming dead. If it's been awhile since you've tried Linux, I'd suggest trying again if you need a free OS for a computer that doesn't play games. I'd swear that every release of Ubuntu and some of the other "easy" distributions I've tried get better and easier each time. Keep in mind that this is coming from a guy who just bought and installed Windows 7 Professional on his main desktop last week and would never go back to XP. Linux and Windows both have many positives and negatives and I foresee both sticking around and evolving to new situations and markets for a long time to come.

Oh and I don't want to cause any offense, but saying that Linux doesn't support games is somewhat of a fallacy. More accurately, games don't support Linux not the other way around. It's like saying that the Xbox doesn't support Gran Turismo when actually it's Gran Turismo that does not support the Xbox. Linux can't choose to support games; games (the developers actually) choose whether to support Linux. The same thing is true of Windows. It's a subtle difference, but either way the result is the same.

 

For many that has gaming and entertainment first and foremost in mind when using their computer(s) and has grown up using Windows as main OS. I can see how people keep saying Linux is complicated and whatnot. Especially if their previous experience with said OS was a negative one. Also realize that there isn't much investment put into PR in advertising Linux as a desktop environment. Most of the people that did switched over are mostly thru mouth-to-mouth advertising. Compare that to Microsoft's spending on PR their OS and bribing OEM to install Windows only.

But Linux, given you choose the right distribution (and yes there are many you can pick from), it can be a very good alternative for basic consumer client-sided computing tasks. Such as:
- Internet browsing
- Instant messaging
- Music and videos
- Simple office applications tasks
- VoIP
Reason why many netbooks nowadays offering Linux as OS besides Windows, also being a cheaper offering without the Windows license.

So basically it's suitable for simple home usage or small/medium sized businesses. Which can be a huge money saver not having to purchase all the required licenses (per seat).

Than there are people that still uses outdated hardware, enjoy playing some more legacy game titles and decided to use Linux for it's ability to run the game (albeit often using emulations like wine and commercial derivatives of wine) without the mandatory bloat that comes with Windows, often resulting into better/smoother FPS.

As for people that likes eye-candy with their Desktop. Linux actually has far more eye-candy available than Windows Vista/7 has. Compiz (and alikes) is very customizable and offers great deal of eye-candy; and all of that comes for free, and these days enabled with an out-of-the-box install.
Infact there was an experiment a year ago at a shopping mall where they installed Linux on a laptop with KDE as desktop environment (with KDE and other branding artworks removed) with Compiz enabled and had the passing random consumer take a look at it. Many of them thinking that was actually the upcoming Windows 7 and were highly impressed

Smells of ignorance is in the air. The main reason for choosing Linux is not just the fact it comes for free. To the contrary, Linux (and opensource software in general) isn't just about free (as in beer) software (and mind you, Enterprise grade Linux doesn't all comes for free such as RHE, educate yourself). Linux and OSS is about freedom of _having_ a choice.
The ability to have (multiple) choices instead of being limited to a single option, which is Windows as the only choose in desktop OS on PC hardware platform. Same as democracy with only 1 party to choose from isn't freedom.
Linux and OSS is also about education, giving you the choice and ability to look into the source code to learn about how a particular software works internally, for people that are interested into such matter: e.g. computer science students and software developers.
Opensource can also help certain douchy company to look into an aged-existing-currently-still-in-use software/technology and than claim it as their own by patenting that technology.
This helps greatly in the process of learning and improving. This in the end offers higher grade quality software and enhancement in computing security. As a statement of opensource can also help gaming, just look at all the game engines improvement based on the opensourced IDTech 1/2/3 engines; Adding modern rendering techniques with older game engines. This is btw what Call Of Duty series has been, started out with IDTech3 engine license, ported it to DX API (CoD2), added/improved the rendering techniques (CoD4:MW1/5/MW2).

But back to the OP original question. Remember that Windows 7 is a revamp of Vista what Vista should have been in the first place. Lots of features Windows 7 offers does seem nice, but not entirely original or unique. So Linux is still a good alternative, albeit not the right choice for gaming consider many game developers doesn't care about Linux support 1 bit. Even John Carmack has said not to support Linux with the upcoming title.

 

windows7 is nothing special in itself, except big marketing stuff.
Just read for example their TOP 10 reasons to get windows7 and you will feel humiliated that those reasons are TOP 10.
Same registry.same ntfs.same core? Maybe only modified security, but nothing brand new.Even many xp programs/games dont run win7.How can win7 be better if it stops running programs/games that were working in win xp.

Well, if ubuntu/kubuntu or even other linux distro would get directx9c support, then it would be too good to be true

 

I don't understand why would someone use Linux on desktop PC.

For basic stuff (IM, Web browsing, Music, etc) you can also use DesktopBSD or PC-BSD.

And for server use, well, FreeBSD anyone ?

If you actually want to do something with your desktop PC, get Windows. Or if you think that you are better than the rest of people and hate gaming, get Mac.

Used to think like this before. It's easy just to close your eyes and ears and keep telling this to people. How long have people been telling this ? 5 years ? 10 years ? Nothing has happened during this time. People still use Windows, accept it.

 

If I had the choice I'd take Linux over Windows anytime but issue is, most games are on Windows so of course I can't move over to Linux (I'm not gonna spend like 15min. tweaking WINE to get a game working!)

Here are my reasons why Linux won't overtake Windows:
http://www.kwokinator.com/blog/20091005/why-linux-wont-overtake-windows-desktops

deltatux

 

15minutes is quite optimistic. Many games still wont work with Wine and I'm not going to pay monthly fees to get Cedeca and hope that game I want to play gets supported.

I'm not saying that Linux is going to disapper, they are getting it to phone OS, etc. Just not for desktop PC's.

 

Linux is great for servers and embedded solutions, such as phones, kiosks, and such. As a desktop OS I think it shines best on what is almost an embedded solution (due to the strikingly similar form factors and hardware) as in netbooks. But, again, part of that is because Linux provides all of the necessary tools for a basic computing experience. When it comes to my desktop I've installed Linux and every time I've done so I sit back and go, "Now what?" I sit there trying to think of something that I can only do on Linux and can't do in Windows and I always draw a blank. I think that is the case for the vast majority of users. That and Windows is an easy platform to get around and has far more support from developers and is far easier to resolve tech support issues.

 

Each Operating System is different, and it's strong in some areas.

Basically am a windows user but i use linux machines too, if i had to choose between them i would choose linux and am comparing them only as OS not for gaming not for server etc, it's clean solid fast OS.

Also each linux update it's important it's not like windows they make an update to close a port a bug etc and some time it does not improve the OS at all. And for those who are against to the *nix OS please answer how much is the percentage of internet(servers, galleries, hosting etc) are based on *nix machines.

That's my opinion guys

 

Take random dude from the street and ask if he would want to install Ubuntu to his PC because he's not a gamer. People here also seem to forget, that normal people do not give a sh1t about Linux distros because those are too complicated and they don't have problems with Windows + MS Office works better than OpenOffice. They do not care to save $100 in 5 years if they would need to learn new OS + fix it themselves, because that neighbours 15year old kid would not be able to fix it. Register to forums and beg people to make drivers to their printer, etc.

 

I like the idea of what Finchwizard usually posts in these kind of threads: each OS has its pros and cons and own usefulness.

Imo, Linux definitely has a future - IT probably wouldn't even work without it or at least the IT landscape would look a whole lot different.

Just one example: Linux is used by more and more cities and governments throughout Europe.