Opinion: Is the year of Linux finally here? Not yet, not as long as the myths persist.Year after year, industry pundits state, "This is the year of Linux," and year after year, those same pundits say, "The market is just not ready yet." So the big question here is, "Where are the Linux desktops?" For the most part, they're not anywhere.
Regardless of the advantages offered by Linux, no one seems to be adopting it wholeheartedly in the business world. What makes that even more fascinating is that the backlash against Windows Vista is not reason enough to fuel the move to Linux.
The problem here is that the powers that be have created enough FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) about Linux that most decision makers feel it is safer to stick with Windows (including XP). That FUD is fueled by many myths and misconceptions about what Linux can and cannot do. Let's explore the top five myths and see what the real truth is here:
Myth 1: Limited hardware support. The fact is that the major distributions of Linux offer as many drivers as Vista does, if not more. Simply put, if it is a mainstream piece of hardware, the Linux community has figured out how to support it. What's more, in most cases, Linux offers better legacy hardware support than Vista does, so you can hang on to those older peripherals.
Need Grows for Wireless Support.
Myth 2: Linux is rife with incompatibilities. On the contrary, there are hundreds of applications that can share data across platforms, allowing Linux users to collaborate with Windows and Mac users, as well as other Linux users. For example, OpenOffice.org offers file-level compatibility with Microsoft Office, while GIMP brings Photoshop compatibility. The list goes on and on. The bottom line is that PC and Mac files are compatible with Linux.
Myth 3: Linux is hard to learn and use. This has become one of the more ridiculous misconceptions about Linux. Today's distributions and GUIs offer concise control and excellent help. What's more, the GUIs can be set up to mimic Windows XP or Mac OS, making it easier to move to Linux than to Vista.
Myth 4: Linux is hard to install. Most of the major distributions come with graphical installers and wizards. Installation has become a snap with Linux, and most users can set it up for dual boot, allowing switching back and forth between operating systems. In addition, time-consuming processes such as entering complex keys or running activation applications are eliminated, making installation quick and easy.
Myth 5: It's difficult to add and configure applications. This statement may have been true some time ago, but with distributions such as Ubuntu and Linspire, adding applications is as simple as selecting an application from an online repository and clicking "install."
That proves to be simpler than the traditional Windows methods of inserting a CD or downloading an installer.
With the myths dispelled, what will it take for Linux to become a real player in the business desktop market? The simple answer is, "The channel." Solution providers need to start considering that Linux is a viable alternative. For that to happen, providers may need to change the way they think about margins and markups. The purveyors of Linux (and all open-source software) will have to shift to a support and services model to garner their profits.
Frank Ohlhorst is executive technology editor at Ziff Davis Enterprise. He can be reached at frank.ohlhorst@ziffdavisenterprise.com.
