Linux to the desktop still takes

Due to its price, flexibility and stability advantages, Linux software has found many users in IT departments or research institutions. Nowadays, companies such as Novell, Red Hat and Sun are advocating Linux to the desktop, but this market is still dominated by Microsoft's Windows. Although it can be seen as an opportunity for Linux, few end users are willing to give up their habits. system. It's as difficult as convincing a meat to eat a vegetarian diet, even though you have many reasons, such as good health. But everyone seems to be very disgusted with Microsoft's things: every time the upgrade is expensive, almost every month has to be patched, and the next product, Longhorn, has a great change in technology and compatibility, making Microsoft a target. . Therefore, there is a call to turn to Linux. Grasping these "bad roots" of Windows systems, some companies are busy launching Linux systems for desktops. This spring, Red Hat launched a Linux-based desktop product package and plans to upgrade it further in security next year. Novell, which acquired SuSE Linux AG and Linux desktop software developer Ximian last year, is planning to launch its own PC Linux version by the end of this year. Sun Microsystems, which has always been a high-end product, also began selling source code desktop software to corporate users this year. The price is $100 per client, and Wal-Mart has become its signature customer. Sun is still in its own e-commerce. A Linux-based home computer is sold to home users on the website. Other small companies, including Lindows (hence the name was sued by Microsoft), Turbolinux, etc., all aimed at the PC. The Challenge

& ldquo; The biggest challenge is how to help users realize that there are other options for desktop applications," said Red Ferret's marketing manager Mike Ferris. But it takes time and opportunity. Red Hat and Novell believe that Linux is well used in data centers, and that with the introduction of a more secure version in the future, it will give it a leading edge in PC applications, as many PC users have been plagued by viruses and systems. Sun believes that Linux is one of the most stable operating systems, and it can run all software from back-office to desktop applications. According to IDC, in 2002, Microsoft Windows accounted for 94% of the PC operating system; Linux accounted for 2.8%; Apple's Mac OS was 2.9%. By 2006, IDC predicted that Linux's market share would double. But even so, the share is still small. The main reason is that desktop Linux lacks the brand awareness of Windows, user applications are not used, and lack of compatibility with the regular software used by current PC users. Ease of use is probably the biggest obstacle to Linux going to the desktop. “If Linux can't solve the problem of application friendliness, never expect to open the door to desktop applications,” a PC user said. Cost

In addition, the cost of moving from Windows to Linux is not low. Although no one doubts that the operating system itself is not expensive or even free, its application is not cheap at all. HP introduced its first Linux notebook last month, with Linux packages, CDs, DVD drives, and wireless networks for $1,450, while Windows XP Professional products with the same hardware configuration and software are only It is $50 more expensive than it. Linux applications and services are not cheap, or do these companies expect to survive? Red Hat's desktop application package starts at $2,500 and supports 10 users, including one month of phone support and one year of online support. “The cost of abandoning Windows is too high,” said Jeryl Wolfe, CIO of McCormick, a condiment manufacturer with an annual turnover of $2.3 billion. “Replacing Windows with Linux on the desktop is a huge challenge for our users. & rdquo; For most non-IT companies, migrating to Linux is very difficult. The reason is that these companies don't have a lot of IT support staff, and the main computer users themselves don't understand the technology. Of course, Microsoft does not want to lose territory. For those who want to save money and turn to Linux, Microsoft also has countermeasures. In August, the low-priced Windows XP Starter Edition was launched and will be sold in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and other places. It is reported that its price is much lower than Windows XP Professional, which is priced at $300 per unit in the United States. Customer base

Bill Claybrook, president of New River Market Research, believes that all users who migrate to Linux at the desktop level are predictable. They will be primarily technical, engineering and design personnel: understanding the technology, no longer need to Rely on Windows. But he believes that there is still an opportunity for Linux, but it depends on the progress of Longhorn. Microsoft is committed to adding a key technology to Longhorn: Windows File System, which allows PC users to find files more easily without having to open the file management folder layer by layer. But as a result, the operating system may not be released until 2006. And even if it can be released at that time, it is estimated that its price will be higher. And what is Microsoft's so-called new technology, it will not be known whether it will form a new and larger loophole. During this time period, enterprise users who want to upgrade their PC clients may consider choosing Linux. But undoubtedly, Claybrook said that Linux has been taken over by desktop applications. But Linux will be used more and more in servers, computing centers, workstations, which in turn will affect desktop applications. “All companies deploying Linux on the server side will consider whether they can deploy it on the desktop,” said Jeffrey Wade, HP's marketing advocate for HP. Last year, HP sold a total of $2.5 billion worth of Linux-based computers, and did not sell 400,000 pre-installed Linux PCs in the quarter, mostly in Asia. But Wade does not believe that Linux can take up 3% of the PC market in a short period of time. The company has not even begun to promote new Linux notebooks. Dell's strategy is similar to that of HP. The world's number one PC manufacturer offers workstations and servers pre-installed with Red Hat Linux, but not on a PC, but you can customize a PC with Linux. IBM, also a big player in enterprise Linux, has no confidence in the application of this open source system on the PC. But IBM is very optimistic about the application of Linux on workstations, which are mainly used in the design of automotive and life sciences. In June, IBM and Intel introduced a Linux notebook called "Mobile Workers". The appeal is for electrical engineers, not ordinary users. It can be seen that if Novell, Red Hat and other companies really want to grab more shares from Microsoft, one will take a long time, the second is to have a lot of work to do, and the third is to form a larger industry alliance. Br>