One day, soon, possibly maybe, you might find yourself using a form of Linux. Even if you're a diehard Windows user. It's the Next Big Thing.
You'd think that with all the complaining people do about Windows and its producers, Linux would have made more inroads among PC users. Estimates of the percentage of desktop PCs with a form of Linux installed varies wildly depending on whom is issuing the statistics, but the rule of thumb on overall installed desktop operating systems has been 90% Windows, 5% Mac OS, and 5% Linux (actually, probably closer to 3%) The story on servers is somewhat different, with Windows running about two thirds of severs, and Linux about 20%.
Why, indeed, has Linux not taken off yet? Is it because it looks like "too much work to set up," that it's "too techie?" Do users really want a system they don't have to work too hard to set up, that they don't have to spend too much time or effort to get up and running so they can get to their work?
So, ease of use is clearly not the main criteria for users. Is money the issue, then? After all, Macs are generally more expensive than PCs of equivalent performance capability. Of course, a lot of the peripherals you would have to purchase separately for PCs - such as stereo speakers, a monitor (in iMacs), wireless networking, firewire etc are all built into the Mac, and there are lower cost Macs, like the Mac Mini, which delivers great performance for a low price and attaches to all your PC monitor. When buying a new Mac or PC system and installing all peripherals and add-ons to the PC, the price differential is much smaller. If, however, you're merely upgrading your PC and reusing your existing monitor, keyboard, etc., you'll end up spending less - sometimes a lot less - going for the PC.
Does this mean that people are more interested in saving money than in saving effort? No! Because if money were the main issue, they'd go for the cheap PC and install and use Linux and its universe of applications - almost all of which are free for the taking! Users can save hundreds of dollars, if not more, just not purchasing Windows and Microsoft Office, and using instead a form of Linux along with Open Office - which is as much like Microsoft Office as a non MS Office office suite can be. And even if the OEM versions of Windows and Office come preloaded on a PC, don't think Microsoft is throwing those things for free; if you order a PC with no OS installed, you should theoretically be able to save lots of money on your purchase - and if the savings are not passed on to you under such circumstances, you should demand to know why.
So, if isn't ease of use or money, what motivates Windows users to keep on with an operating system many of them don't like? Possibly it's nothing more than "the devil you know" syndrome - where users don't want to take a chance on something new, out of fear that it will be harder to work with than their current systems. That, and the fact that they're used to working with the Windows programs they know in the manner that they're comfortable with.
In which case, a program called Wine, which allows you to run Windows apps in Linux, could turn out to be a switcher's best friend. More on Wine and adopting Linux next time,