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By Victoria Ho ZDNet Asia
Posted on ZDNet News: Oct 14, 2009 4:38:52 AM

The Linux desktop experience is now closer to the Windows environment than before, but the gap in mainstream adoption for the open source OS will not close anytime soon, says an industry analyst.

Laurent Lachal, U.K.-based senior analyst at IT advisory firm Ovum, said inconsistencies across Linux distributions still stand in the way of wider user uptake.

"For one, Linux has two main GUIs (graphical user interfaces), KDE and Gnome. Some see that as choice, but overall it confuses the market," Lachal told ZDNet Asia in a phone interview. He added that each GUI is further tweaked for different distributions, further compounding the disparity.

Different distributions also have different ways of allowing users to perform tasks, such as terminal commands.

Some distributions also try to mimic Windows as closely as possible in order to entice Windows users to migrate, but has often resulted in only "good enough" experience for "basic" enterprise tasks.

Read more on "Linux-Windows gap to remain for five years" from ZDNET Asia.

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My Point
My point is that you don't have enough experience working with Linux to make the claims you've come here to make.

Now I don't mean to say you don't have experience. So don't get all started up ... (Read the rest)
Posted by: Gerardo.Tasistro Posted on: 10/22/09 You are currently: a Guest | | Terms of Use
In other words...  NStalnecker | 10/14/09
1 Word... Ubuntu  nucrash | 10/14/09
Yeah  NStalnecker | 10/14/09
Difference between CentOS and FC11  codeguy007 | 10/14/09
why push Ubuntu as well? because..  sir_cheats_alot@... | 10/14/09
..Stay out of the enterprise, then..  daftkey | 10/14/09
That was not the issue  Jxn | 10/18/09
Agreed...  Dave32265 | 10/14/09
Just a short notice  Jxn | 10/18/09
I agree from the other side.  rarsa | 10/14/09
A couple of problems....  storm14k | 10/14/09
Ok  NStalnecker | 10/14/09
It seems  Viva la crank dodo | 10/14/09
@Viva  NStalnecker | 10/14/09
I was thinking the same...  The Mentalist | 10/14/09
My name is windoze...  windozefreak | 10/14/09
Thank you  NStalnecker | 10/14/09
Distributions  icetnet | 10/14/09
It doesn't have to be that hard  kimvette | 10/14/09
Not sure is has to be that hard either  storm14k | 10/14/09
Question for you  mswift@... | 10/14/09
Example  Alan(UK) | 10/14/09
"They made the VPN function automatic "  Ole Man | 10/14/09
Yes, Linux packing IS easy to use  Jxn | 10/18/09
RE: It doesn't have to be that hard  icetnet | 10/14/09
there may be a few (I cannot speak for them all)  Ole Man | 10/14/09
Linux - the reason your getting something better than XP  chromeronin | 10/15/09
But those companies  Jxn | 10/18/09
I will agree...  Dave32265 | 10/14/09
RE:I will agree...  richdave | 10/14/09
I love Sabayon...  Dave32265 | 10/14/09
We don't need the words sux0r or sucks you can keep them to yourselves  The Mentalist | 10/14/09
Noh  Jxn | 10/18/09
I was right, but I am also wrong  nucrash | 10/14/09
One of the ....  Dave32265 | 10/14/09
IceWM, maybe for Windows transitioning?  pfyearwood | 10/14/09
Thanks...  Dave32265 | 10/14/09
RE:Thanks...  richdave | 10/14/09
Yes...  Dave32265 | 10/14/09
Just use GNOME/Fedora.  bendib | 10/14/09
Considering...  Gerardo.Tasistro | 10/14/09
Windows 7 cannibalized Vista  daftkey | 10/14/09
About Ubuntu  Gerardo.Tasistro | 10/14/09
Weak argument  eMJayy | 10/14/09
More like 50 years  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/14/09
CPM forevar!!!  nucrash | 10/14/09
Short-sighted  eMJayy | 10/14/09
Missed one  gnesterenko | 10/14/09
Re; The other is Android by Google.  hkommedal | 10/14/09
Yea  gnesterenko | 10/15/09
It's not Windoze  UAC nanny screen | 10/15/09
Brilliant Point  nucrash | 10/14/09
True in all industries  mswift@... | 10/14/09
MS failed in ...  de-void | 10/14/09
MS failed in ... ... Virtualization?  Ole Man | 10/17/09
This is the year of the end of the PC....  No_Ax_to_Grind | 10/14/09
You are right. Get a life and leave us alone.  patibulo | 10/14/09
"So why do people still argue? " a very good question...nt  socialism=nowhere | 10/14/09
There is a reason  rarsa | 10/14/09
RE: There is a reason  icetnet | 10/14/09
now think a step further  gnesterenko | 10/14/09
Don't try to guess my mentality  rarsa | 10/14/09
I have never, since being on this thread...  windozefreak | 10/14/09
You must not  Viva la crank dodo | 10/16/09
Re. You are right. Get a life and leave us alone.  Bilmekanikeren | 10/14/09
Is it just me..  daftkey | 10/14/09
Optimist  nucrash | 10/14/09
Sad but true.  Xorial | 10/14/09
Agree  Zheldon | 10/14/09
example  mswift@... | 10/14/09
Linux NOT ready for the CORPORATE desktop...  Marty R. Milette | 10/14/09
vs Windows?  Gerardo.Tasistro | 10/14/09
I don't get what you're trying to say...  Marty R. Milette | 10/14/09
Version limitations  Gerardo.Tasistro | 10/14/09
F/OSS Documentation  icetnet | 10/14/09
Not what I'm talking about...  Marty R. Milette | 10/15/09
Mighty queer idiosyncrasy  Ole Man | 10/14/09
When you get one...  Marty R. Milette | 10/15/09
I don't believe you'd recognize a clue  Ole Man | 10/17/09
Read the GPL...  Dave32265 | 10/14/09
Great solution!  Marty R. Milette | 10/19/09
What a bunch of nonsense  Gerardo.Tasistro | 10/19/09
Getting tedious...  Marty R. Milette | 10/19/09
Clearly so  Gerardo.Tasistro | 10/19/09
Talk about nonsense...  Marty R. Milette | 10/19/09
I beg your pardon  Gerardo.Tasistro | 10/19/09
@Gerardo -- Either you're reading comprehension is woefully inadequate...  Marty R. Milette | 10/20/09
Reading comprehension is fine thanks  Gerardo.Tasistro | 10/20/09
Of course you don't get it...  The Mentalist | 10/14/09
I must say...  yschoo1@... | 10/17/09
Here is where your arguement falls apart  JM1981 | 10/14/09
Here's where YOUR argument falls apart...  Marty R. Milette | 10/14/09
Please read  Gerardo.Tasistro | 10/15/09
Right on  Ole Man | 10/17/09
Authentication and File Transfer  DarkPhoenixFF4 | 10/15/09
Just because technology EXISTS...  Marty R. Milette | 10/15/09
Wow you did it again  Gerardo.Tasistro | 10/15/09
You can point to all the lists you want...  Marty R. Milette | 10/15/09
Personally Marty I think you don't have a clue  Gerardo.Tasistro | 10/15/09
@Gerardo  Marty R. Milette | 10/16/09
Marty  Gerardo.Tasistro | 10/16/09
@Gerardo -- You can Google and Bing -- can't you?  Marty R. Milette | 10/19/09
Marty, yes I can and I'm sure you can too  Gerardo.Tasistro | 10/19/09
Nerds have their place  Ole Man | 10/17/09
I concur..  yschoo1@... | 10/17/09
There you have it, Marty  Ole Man | 10/17/09
How true...  Dave32265 | 10/17/09
Let's see your PROOF...  Marty R. Milette | 10/19/09
I LOVE IT!  Marty R. Milette | 10/19/09
Clarification  Gerardo.Tasistro | 10/19/09
I beg to differ.  sqr(cos(180)) | 10/14/09
Quite right...  Marty R. Milette | 10/15/09
Do you find it difficult to choose  Ole Man | 10/17/09
I just have to laugh...  Dave32265 | 10/17/09
Seems I UNDERESTIMATED...  Marty R. Milette | 10/19/09
Hmm... Where is LoveRock? happy  vekaz@... | 10/14/09
Until there's a seamless install routine...  Ben1265 | 10/14/09
Using the right hardware  rarsa | 10/14/09
CARP  de-void | 10/14/09
Kudos you your daughter  rarsa | 10/15/09
"Windows is NOT hard to install"  Ole Man | 10/17/09
win 7 took 20 minutes  marks055@... | 10/17/09
Try it yourself instead of babbling...  Marty R. Milette | 10/19/09
Are you talking about Windows?  putt1ck | 10/14/09
um...why and why?  over2sd | 10/16/09
You're wrong Ben1265..  yschoo1@... | 10/17/09
Indeed...  Dave32265 | 10/17/09
Linux Gap  dcolbert@... | 10/14/09
I just don't understand how that is a comparison?  mjolnar@... | 10/14/09
If you just don't understand this...  dcolbert@... | 10/14/09
Don't worry, he doesn't understand it either...  The Mentalist | 10/14/09
Nonsense  de-void | 10/14/09
All I can say is your P4 2ghz with 256mb of RAM is  yschoo1@... | 10/17/09
RE: Linux-Windows gap to remain for five years  jw@... | 10/14/09
Not a Geek, but I see your point.  mjolnar@... | 10/14/09
Hmmmm...  Dave32265 | 10/14/09
Ubuntu not perfect but improving  JimboNobody | 10/14/09
Ubuntu is...  Dave32265 | 10/14/09
I prefer Gnome  Ole Man | 10/17/09
I hear ya...  Dave32265 | 10/17/09
I am an average user...  windozefreak | 10/14/09
Then you are...  Dave32265 | 10/15/09
Not one of my clientele  Ole Man | 10/17/09
What's funny is...  Dave32265 | 10/17/09
Not if you routinely install your OS yourself, you're not.  over2sd | 10/15/09
I have no wish to spend painful hours mastering a new...  usr001 | 10/14/09
Funny...  The Mentalist | 10/14/09
I have used Ubuntu for more than a year and a half now..  yschoo1@... | 10/17/09
RE: Linux-Windows gap to remain for five years  jeverettk | 10/14/09
RE: Linux-Windows gap to remain for five years  TheCaller | 10/14/09
Mind you Windows XP is a old Windows..  yschoo1@... | 10/17/09
XP is definitely ancient history...  Marty R. Milette | 10/19/09
RE: Linux-Windows gap to remain for five years  joshdcohen@... | 10/14/09
RE: Linux-Windows gap to remain for five years  ampers@... | 10/14/09
RE: Linux-Windows gap to remain for five years  torakuat | 10/14/09
Main problems of Linux...  Ceridan | 10/14/09
Agreed... but it's getting better in almost all of those areas.  over2sd | 10/15/09
Total Speculation  otaddy | 10/14/09
RE: Linux-Windows gap to remain for five years  deowll | 10/14/09
It's codecs not codex  sir_cheats_alot@... | 10/14/09
Or, use Linux Mint.  joe.smetona@... | 10/14/09
gaq?  mateokow@... | 10/14/09
ever have them try aMSN?  sir_cheats_alot@... | 10/14/09
5 years is about right (but I'm afraid it would take longer)  albalain | 10/14/09
the "headache"  sir_cheats_alot@... | 10/14/09
You're right, good pointers for anyone new to Linux.  albalain | 10/15/09
RE: Linux-Windows gap to remain for five years  Try2Ketchup | 10/14/09
Gap has been gone for 8 years.  joe.smetona@... | 10/14/09
Way t'go Joe!  Ole Man | 10/17/09
The second ANY distro can...  tek_heretik | 10/14/09
Y'wanna play, y'gotta pay  Ole Man | 10/17/09
So far behind the times...  Marty R. Milette | 10/19/09
RE: Linux-Windows gap to remain for five years  NCWeber | 10/14/09
And that software was?...  Dave32265 | 10/14/09
reality is Linux will never catch up  marks055@... | 10/14/09
...if it is trying to be "Windows(tm)"  over2sd | 10/15/09
actually I agree with that  marks055@... | 10/17/09
Microsoft has retailers around their finger  root12 | 10/15/09
RE: Linux-Windows gap to remain for five years  tyrannosaur | 10/16/09
Depends on where "there" is  Ole Man | 10/17/09
no but mediocre is  marks055@... | 10/17/09
For you, maybe...  Dave32265 | 10/17/09
Typical Open-Source Cop-Out...  Marty R. Milette | 10/19/09
Do you even understand the...  Dave32265 | 10/20/09
The F/OSS definition of 'free'...  Marty R. Milette | 10/21/09
Time is indeed...  Dave32265 | 10/21/09
I suppose...  Marty R. Milette | 10/22/09
Ask a layer  Gerardo.Tasistro | 10/20/09
Ask a "Layer"?  Marty R. Milette | 10/21/09
Ask a "Layer"?  Marty R. Milette | 10/21/09
hook, line, and sinker  Gerardo.Tasistro | 10/21/09
I'm not playing your game. Sorry.  Marty R. Milette | 10/22/09
My Point  Gerardo.Tasistro | 10/22/09
RE: Linux-Windows gap to remain for five years  gowithwind888 | 10/17/09

What do you think?

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