I’m as happy about this news as the next tech enthusiast, but bluntly, it’s not a big shift. Going from … What? 5% to 6%? That’s great and all but it’s hardly moving the needle.
If we want a significant shift we need OEMs selling prebuilt PCs with some flavor of Linux pre-installed, that’s as easy to use as the competition (Windows/mac) with compatibility that’s both good enough and transparent enough that people don’t need to think about it much.
Before we get Linux OEM PCs on store shelves, we need to figure out that last bit first.
That still hasn’t happened yet. We can’t even agree what window manager should be used, nevermind any of the dozen or so other critical services on the system…
The thing that makes Linux great is that anyone and everyone can, and does, make stuff for it. That’s also the thing that’s going to hold it back from being put on store shelves pre installed on prebuilt PCs.
If you look at the commercially successful variants of Linux (ChromeOS and Android), you’ll see that taking away freedom/choice was the first thing they did.
And ultimately, if you are targeting the mass market, that’s almost required.
Successful compared to what? I don’t have data, but I’d venture to say that it’s the most popular desktop Linux distro.
It’s a bit past its peak, but in 2023 it had 7% market share in the quite lucrative North American market. That’s not nothing. In North America, all other Linux distros combined just overtook ChromeOS this year. World-wide it was last year.
There’s also no other Linux distro that comes pre-installed on devices from different manufacturers (at least none that I know of).
Really difficult to actually get good numbers here since there’s a ton of sampling bias and user agent strings (which are used for most of these market share detectors) don’t capture Linux distros apart from ChromeOS.
But we can combine sources to get somewhere.
The Steam Hardware and Software Survey doesn’t include any data on ChromeOS, because there’s no Steam on ChromeOS, but it says that there’s a total market share for Linux of 3.2% with the most common Linux Distro being Arch with a market share of 0.32% (probably due to the Steam Deck), followed by Mint with 0.24%.
So double the maket share to get roughly to the 6.3% total Linux maket share from PH, and we get Arch with 0.64% and Mint with 0.48%, which is both much much lower than the 2.4% of ChromeOS on PH.
Standardization is a requirement. Whether that still gives the user the ability to color outside of the lines on what’s considered “standard” will be the key factor.
If we want a significant shift we need OEMs selling prebuilt PCs with some flavor of Linux pre-installed, that’s as easy to use as the competition (Windows/mac) with compatibility that’s both good enough and transparent enough that people don’t need to think about it much.
This probably won’t be showing up on shelves at best buy along side computers from the likes of Dell, HP, and Lenovo. I kind of expect it to show up next to the Xbox, PlayStation, and switch, if it shows up at all.
Also, steamOS is not exactly a desktop operating system right out of the gate, is entirely gaming focused. Yeah, you can use it for those things, but that’s not the focus of the device/OS.
I’m not sure Grandma and Grandpa would want a steam machine as a replacement for their aging Windows 7 home computer.
I’m not sure Grandma and Grandpa would want a steam machine as a replacement for their aging Windows 7 home computer.
Fair. But for my gram, it would have been a slam dunk day one buy. She loved her playstation and only tolerated her PC. She would have called a Steam Machine “my game console that can check email” and would have adored it.
why not?? best buy sells steam decks and the ROG ally… costco sells garbage pre-builts, there is no reason the gabecube shouldn’t find retail shelf space, especially since xbox seems intent on exiting the console market.
the fact that it’s a linux box is only appealing to nerds, how may ppl actually ran linux on the ps3?? hint: a lot less people than were upset when sony took it away lol. gabecube being a pc is a bonus feature, will it be a big enough bonus feature to drive sales like bundling your fist dvd or bluray player?? probably not… but it will be enough to maybe sway a few people sitting on the fence?? maybe!
So honest question, what is everyone’s hopes with the increase in Linux desktop use?
Like when I think about it the only thing I really care about is that I have decent hardware/driver support and holdouts for anti-cheat give up on requiring other operating systems (mostly so that my wife and eldest child stop complaining that I can’t play Fortnite with them) as well as other random stuff that flat-out blocks use with Linux and requires either extra configuration or to keep a spare computer around with Windows.
Basically I hope that Linux can be where MacOS was about a decade ago, a second platform that vendors are aware of and will put in some amount of effort in to support (and will be clear about limitations/lack of support otherwise) and it won’t be as weird to employers or schools if you have a preference for the platform
that 1% gain translates to a lot of people. app devs will hopefully target linux now as there are finally a sizable amt of people on the platform. its breaking the chicken and egg cycle
no need to worry about the software fragmentation. it gives OEMs a choice on how they would like to sell a system. we dont want to be like android now do we. i see it as a plus
These are all valid opinions. Certainly 1% of movement is better than no movement. Certainly gets us closer to the goal, but IMO, it will take more movement before publishers will take Linux seriously, especially for more custom applications.
I’m as happy about this news as the next tech enthusiast, but bluntly, it’s not a big shift. Going from … What? 5% to 6%? That’s great and all but it’s hardly moving the needle.
If we want a significant shift we need OEMs selling prebuilt PCs with some flavor of Linux pre-installed, that’s as easy to use as the competition (Windows/mac) with compatibility that’s both good enough and transparent enough that people don’t need to think about it much.
Before we get Linux OEM PCs on store shelves, we need to figure out that last bit first.
That still hasn’t happened yet. We can’t even agree what window manager should be used, nevermind any of the dozen or so other critical services on the system…
The thing that makes Linux great is that anyone and everyone can, and does, make stuff for it. That’s also the thing that’s going to hold it back from being put on store shelves pre installed on prebuilt PCs.
If you look at the commercially successful variants of Linux (ChromeOS and Android), you’ll see that taking away freedom/choice was the first thing they did.
And ultimately, if you are targeting the mass market, that’s almost required.
ChromeOS isn’t successful.
Successful compared to what? I don’t have data, but I’d venture to say that it’s the most popular desktop Linux distro.
It’s a bit past its peak, but in 2023 it had 7% market share in the quite lucrative North American market. That’s not nothing. In North America, all other Linux distros combined just overtook ChromeOS this year. World-wide it was last year.
There’s also no other Linux distro that comes pre-installed on devices from different manufacturers (at least none that I know of).
Yes. By the porn stats, Linux already crushes ChromeOs. Let’s not take any advice from it.
Well, all Linux distros combined are more than ChromeOS. If you split up by distro, ChromeOS is still the top Linux distro by far.
Interesting. I would have guessed that Mint gave ChromeOS a run for it’s money, by now.
Really difficult to actually get good numbers here since there’s a ton of sampling bias and user agent strings (which are used for most of these market share detectors) don’t capture Linux distros apart from ChromeOS.
But we can combine sources to get somewhere.
The Steam Hardware and Software Survey doesn’t include any data on ChromeOS, because there’s no Steam on ChromeOS, but it says that there’s a total market share for Linux of 3.2% with the most common Linux Distro being Arch with a market share of 0.32% (probably due to the Steam Deck), followed by Mint with 0.24%.
So double the maket share to get roughly to the 6.3% total Linux maket share from PH, and we get Arch with 0.64% and Mint with 0.48%, which is both much much lower than the 2.4% of ChromeOS on PH.
Nice! Thanks for sharing this analysis.
Standardization is a requirement. Whether that still gives the user the ability to color outside of the lines on what’s considered “standard” will be the key factor.
Boy have I got news for you
This probably won’t be showing up on shelves at best buy along side computers from the likes of Dell, HP, and Lenovo. I kind of expect it to show up next to the Xbox, PlayStation, and switch, if it shows up at all.
Also, steamOS is not exactly a desktop operating system right out of the gate, is entirely gaming focused. Yeah, you can use it for those things, but that’s not the focus of the device/OS.
I’m not sure Grandma and Grandpa would want a steam machine as a replacement for their aging Windows 7 home computer.
Fair. But for my gram, it would have been a slam dunk day one buy. She loved her playstation and only tolerated her PC. She would have called a Steam Machine “my game console that can check email” and would have adored it.
why not?? best buy sells steam decks and the ROG ally… costco sells garbage pre-builts, there is no reason the gabecube shouldn’t find retail shelf space, especially since xbox seems intent on exiting the console market.
the fact that it’s a linux box is only appealing to nerds, how may ppl actually ran linux on the ps3?? hint: a lot less people than were upset when sony took it away lol. gabecube being a pc is a bonus feature, will it be a big enough bonus feature to drive sales like bundling your fist dvd or bluray player?? probably not… but it will be enough to maybe sway a few people sitting on the fence?? maybe!
And I can buy this configuration off of a shelf at best buy?
🤷🏻
I don’t buy stuff in real life stores…
Most non-tech-enthusiast people do.
And that’s my point.
Like when I think about it the only thing I really care about is that I have decent hardware/driver support and holdouts for anti-cheat give up on requiring other operating systems (mostly so that my wife and eldest child stop complaining that I can’t play Fortnite with them) as well as other random stuff that flat-out blocks use with Linux and requires either extra configuration or to keep a spare computer around with Windows.
Basically I hope that Linux can be where MacOS was about a decade ago, a second platform that vendors are aware of and will put in some amount of effort in to support (and will be clear about limitations/lack of support otherwise) and it won’t be as weird to employers or schools if you have a preference for the platform
a little funny to see someone say the same exact thing as me, but conclude the opposite thing
https://fosstodon.org/@Logical/_Error/115674824627182408
that 1% gain translates to a lot of people. app devs will hopefully target linux now as there are finally a sizable amt of people on the platform. its breaking the chicken and egg cycle
no need to worry about the software fragmentation. it gives OEMs a choice on how they would like to sell a system. we dont want to be like android now do we. i see it as a plus
These are all valid opinions. Certainly 1% of movement is better than no movement. Certainly gets us closer to the goal, but IMO, it will take more movement before publishers will take Linux seriously, especially for more custom applications.