Linux Desktop Market Share Surpasses 10% in North America (linuxiac.com) 89
The blog Linuxiac reports:
Linux has crossed a major milestone in North America, with the open-source operating system now accounting for 10.65% of desktop usage in the region, according to Statcounter's latest figures for July 2026. The result places Linux firmly in double-digit territory for the first time in Statcounter's North American desktop operating system statistics.
For comparison, Statcounter recorded Linux at 5.52% in June 2026, so the share nearly doubled in one month... However, the sharp monthly increase needs context. Statcounter's June figures included an "Unknown" category that accounted for 9.24% of North American desktop usage. Its reduction seems to have coincided with Linux's rise, possibly indicating better identification of previously unclassified traffic...
Statcounter is not the only major web measurement platform showing Linux with a substantial presence on North American desktops. Cloudflare Radar data, filtered to desktop HTTP traffic from North America over the previous 28 days, also places Linux at a notably high level [9.4%].
StatCounter's data also shows Linux with an even larger market share of 11.87% in just the United States — and a 14.73% market share in India. Linux's market share in other world regions:
And here's how the Linux market share in other countries compare to India and the U.S.
Linux's surge could be due to its use in automation or headless browser workloads, Linuxiac points out. But another possibility is "growing frustration with Windows hardware requirements, advertising, account integration, telemetry, and forced interface changes has pushed some users to explore alternatives..."
"For now, the safest conclusion is that Linux has surpassed 10% of measured desktop web usage in North America according to Statcounter, not necessarily 10% of the region's installed desktop computer base."
For comparison, Statcounter recorded Linux at 5.52% in June 2026, so the share nearly doubled in one month... However, the sharp monthly increase needs context. Statcounter's June figures included an "Unknown" category that accounted for 9.24% of North American desktop usage. Its reduction seems to have coincided with Linux's rise, possibly indicating better identification of previously unclassified traffic...
Statcounter is not the only major web measurement platform showing Linux with a substantial presence on North American desktops. Cloudflare Radar data, filtered to desktop HTTP traffic from North America over the previous 28 days, also places Linux at a notably high level [9.4%].
StatCounter's data also shows Linux with an even larger market share of 11.87% in just the United States — and a 14.73% market share in India. Linux's market share in other world regions:
| Asia | 7.17% |
| Africa | 5.71% |
| Europe | 5.49% |
| South America | 4.35% |
| China | 2.12% |
And here's how the Linux market share in other countries compare to India and the U.S.
| India | 14.73% |
| United States | 11.87% |
| Germany | 7.24% |
| UK | 6.18% |
| Canada | 3.83% |
| Australia | 3.55% |
Linux's surge could be due to its use in automation or headless browser workloads, Linuxiac points out. But another possibility is "growing frustration with Windows hardware requirements, advertising, account integration, telemetry, and forced interface changes has pushed some users to explore alternatives..."
"For now, the safest conclusion is that Linux has surpassed 10% of measured desktop web usage in North America according to Statcounter, not necessarily 10% of the region's installed desktop computer base."
Netcraft Confirms (Score:4, Funny)
The four horsemen are inbound.
Re: (Score:3)
Linux has been 'usable enough' for most people for a few years. Electron filled in the last mile problem and proton was the bridge that Wine by itself could never quite achieve. But there were still *just enough* things to make you need a CLI that made it appear the Linux is Hard (lets forget Microsoft's GUI for driver mgmt is not any easier really, but right-click-bros will say it is superior because it feels *more discoverable*, ignoring man pages etc).
Now with 2026 level LLM being able to fix almost any
Re: (Score:3)
But I admit almost everything I do these days (when I'm not programming) is done in a browser window. The need for local software is almost gone.
Re:Netcraft Confirms (Score:5, Insightful)
The need for local software is almost gone.
The perceived need for local software is almost gone. When an internet connection is unavailable or undesirable for some reason, you may be sorry you gave up the autonomy which local software provides...
Re:Netcraft Confirms (Score:5, Informative)
Or, maybe better terminology, the year Microsoft finally fscked themselves with no backwards compatibility with even (well maintained) 10 year old laptops being good enough for 99% of the web.
Microsoft needs OEMs to buy licenses, even at a deeply discounted rate this is important (and importantly, has been dependable) revenue. They only do that when they are selling PCs. Microsoft had to help those OEMs sell PCs to capture that revenue.
Microsoft knows that source is drying up. Companies will be able to move away from Windows. This is why they have been shifting their focus towards the cloud. Like IBM, they have become a services company as they became staid and unable to execute on delivering exciting products, or in fact products people want. Instead, the best they can do is products they're forced to use. The money is all the same color no matter what the feelings behind it are...
Re: (Score:2)
Or, maybe better terminology, the year Microsoft finally fscked themselves with no backwards compatibility with even (well maintained) 10 year old laptops being good enough for 99% of the web.
Microsoft needs OEMs to buy licenses, even at a deeply discounted rate this is important (and importantly, has been dependable) revenue. They only do that when they are selling PCs. Microsoft had to help those OEMs sell PCs to capture that revenue.
Microsoft knows that source is drying up. Companies will be able to move away from Windows. This is why they have been shifting their focus towards the cloud. Like IBM, they have become a services company as they became staid and unable to execute on delivering exciting products, or in fact products people want. Instead, the best they can do is products they're forced to use. The money is all the same color no matter what the feelings behind it are...
What Microsoft needs are companies to keep buying CALs yearly. The OEMs are just a drop in the bucket as most corporate laptops will have the corporate image dumped onto them as soon as they arrive. OEMs are mainly there to try to prevent home users from switching to other OSs by being able to buy a laptop without an OS on it (large corporate purchases can be made without buying Windows licenses). MS has largely stopped giving a shit about enforcing licensing for home users. I recently went looking for the
Re: (Score:1)
MS revenues are based largely on OEM software licenses AND Software Assurance licenses - the latter is when GM pays an annual license fee for several hundred thousand windows licenses, copies of MS office, servers, and databases and you local school district pays for a couple thousand licenses annually.
But really, the big bucks are in Azure, largely running Linux instances "in the cloud"...
Independent end-user licenses are nice, but it hasn't been a major source of revenue for MS for a while.
Re: (Score:3)
Now with 2026 level LLM being able to fix almost any linux problem you throw at it, I think literally this will be the year, finally, of Linux on the Desktop, or at least the year more than just neckbeards and ultranerds have it on their laptop.
While it may be the year Linux grows more than before, I think it still faces several challenges:
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
At this point, the command line is almost preferable - perhaps even for average users. It seems like half the time an LLM provides a set of instructions for a Microsoft GUI or web portal, the interface or URL has changed significantly and the LLM's instructions are virtually useless. Linux commands are generally far more stable.
However, they are very cryptic with brevity seemingly valued over understandability. Once you learn them they are useful but most users don't want to use and memorize a command line, that is to much like the boomers' C:\> prompt.
Re: (Score:3)
Agreed. However, all a new user needs to learn to get started in a CLI is one command: man. Once you have that, and a little practice in understanding what it's saying, you've got everything you need.
Re: (Score:3)
all a new user needs to learn to get started in a CLI is one command: man
That's like saying that all a new pharmacist needs to learn to get started in dispensing is one book: The PDR. The information on the medications is in there, the knowledge to comprehend it is not. If you had an infinite amount of time, and one of the really well-documented versions of Unix, what you say is true, for an educated and/or talented user. But not all man pages are very good, and some are missing entirely and it's not obvious where to find the documentation.
Some things are also only documented in
Re: (Score:2)
Agreed. However, all a new user needs to learn to get started in a CLI is one command: man.
All you need to learn in WIndows is: bro
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
The LLM thing comes up in a lot of "switch to Linux challenge" scenarios. The issue is that a lot of the Linux community is sadly very toxic. Someone says they want to use X, and the response they get is "why? Just use Y instead". They google an error message and get an out of date Reddit thread where the copy/paste solution bricks their OS (happened to Linus of LTT a couple of years ago).
LLMs try to be helpful and sift through all the outdated forum posts for you. They make using Linux a lot more pleasant
Re:Netcraft Confirms (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Netcraft Confirms (Score:4, Interesting)
For most at-home end users Linux has been good enough for years. Most of these people only use two applications: a web browser (through which they also get web based email), you have a choice of many with Linux; and an office suite (word processing and spreadsheet) that Open Office does excellently. They will not need to use the command line.
Other needs: printing is easy via CUPS; system updates easy; package installation easy; Gimp OK for simple image editing; music playing - well supported; SANE does scanners well.
It just needs someone to do the installation and provide a little initial hand holding and most people then just get on with it. Their main problem is fear of the unknown before they start -- so do your bit and offer to hold peoples' hands.
Yes: there are always people who need something special that you can only find on MS Windows or a Mac; but I am talking about the 80% of home users.
Re:Netcraft Confirms (Score:4, Insightful)
Other needs: printing is easy via CUPS
LOL! Would you like to hold my hand and help me fix CUPS inability to print #10 envelopes(feeder is center aligned CUPS chooses to only print top or bottom aligned.) from Libre Office (again) following a CUPS update?
Pro Tip: It's a CUPS regression bug. Again. Fix will surely be delivered in a few months. Maybe. It's only been four plus months, so far.
I've used Linux as a daily driver for decades. Anyone that thinks the user experience is even remotely similar to Windows/Mac is either smoking crack or doesn't have any experience in the matter. Not in a million years would I give Linux to my mother nor coworkers.
Re: (Score:3)
It took me under 3 minutes to get my Canon 702 working perfectly on Arch, while the wife's MacBook took 10x more and was a pain in the ass.
So, if you need help with printers under Linux these days, you're doing something wrong. :D
Re: (Score:2)
It took me under 3 minutes to get my Canon 702 working perfectly on Arch, while the wife's MacBook took 10x more and was a pain in the ass.
This is particularly noteworthy given that CUPS was developed by Apple. But it's still not surprising how a big company can screw things up compared to "hobby" projects.
Printing is a good example how Linux works well with standards. Traditionally, if the printer understood Postscript, you wouldn't need much of a printer driver. Meanwhile, Windows users were instructed to download a very specific driver for that printer model, even if it would just pass PS through.
Re: (Score:2)
Traditionally, if the printer understood Postscript, you wouldn't need much of a printer driver. Meanwhile, Windows users were instructed to download a very specific driver for that printer model, even if it would just pass PS through.
Sure, but if you knew what you were doing you could install the generic adobe postscript driver with the appropriate ppd... so what we're really establishing here is that Windows never "just worked" and required a lot of specialist knowledge that people have just willfully forgotten about apparently in order to support their argument that Linux is hard.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Netcraft Confirms (Score:4, Informative)
I mostly agree with you. But it has not been my experience that "printing is easy via CUPS".
Setting up a printer connected directly to your computer is often fairly easy if the printer is a popular one. Setting up a less popular printer, or a printer on your LAN - wired or wireless - can be a real shitshow.
Admittedly, I'm a bit of a GUI suck. But I have been using Linux for going on two decades now, and the fact that setting up a printer causes me grief does not bode well for the average Windows user migrating to Linux.
Re: (Score:1)
I've lost track of all the municipal governments that proudly announced their plan to move off Windows, only to unceremoniously go back to windows a few years later... Now we'll get to see this on a large scale as EU countries try and figure out how to be less dependent on US software like Windows and MS office...
Re: (Score:1)
Or, maybe better terminology, the year Microsoft finally fscked themselves with no backwards compatibility with even (well maintained) 10 year old laptops being good enough for 99% of the web.
MS gave what, a five year warning? Even after their drop-dead date for support, support is available for free in certain use cases, for a small fee for those that don't meet the requirements, for another couple years.
As a reminder your win 7, 8/8.1, and 10 OEM and retail licenses qualified for a free upgrade to win 11 - and they have for years.
Owners of ten year-old windows computers fare much, much better than Mac owners of 7 year-old systems or, more dramatically, any intel-based Mac. Apple drops hardware
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Linux has crossed a major milestone in North America, with the open-source operating system now accounting for 10.65% of desktop usage in the region, according to Statcounter's latest figures for July 2026. The result places Linux firmly in double-digit territory for the first time in Statcounter's North American desktop operating system statistics.
With a stated 10.65% of desktop market share in North America, is Linux REALLY "firmly in double-digit territory"? It is 0.66% away from being firmly in single-digit territory, is that "firmly" double-digit?
Linux fan boys just can't contain their excitement and over-claim accomplishments like this - the way Linux hit 10% was by redefining what "Linux" is and is not in their data:
However, the sharp monthly increase needs context. Statcounter's June figures included an "Unknown" category that accounted for 9.24% of North American desktop usage. Its reduction seems to have coincided with Linux's rise, possibly indicating better identification of previously unclassified traffic...
Chromebooks really don't count (Score:4, Insightful)
Chromebooks used by schools really should be counted separately.
Re: (Score:3)
Chromebooks used by schools really should be counted separately.
I agree. They are really designed for a very specific use case and not really a mainstream computing product.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:3)
Yes lets splitt linux into n silos so each one has a market share so low everyone else can be call it insignificant. sometimes i thing certain subsets of the community is employed by SCO. While we may not like chromeos, but it's a product shipped at scale running a flavour of linux,it showes an increasingly large population of children ( that might have never used anything other than tablets/phones) that linux is not scary/ windows is not necessarily the default choice. U'm all for accuracy but somtimes we might need to stop being too accurate ehen the destination does not really matter to a vast majority of of actual users.
I understand your sentiment, but that'd a lot like claiming UNIX has X percent because the Mac is a certified UNIX system. ChromeOS is pretty far from Linux in terms of how it is presented to the user and most of the users have no idea it's Linux:Inside. They're not primed to keep using ChromeOS or graduate to Linux, they are likely looking for Windows or a MAC as their first real computer.
Re: (Score:2)
I understand your sentiment, but that'd a lot like claiming UNIX has X percent because the Mac is a certified UNIX system. ChromeOS is pretty far from Linux in terms of how it is presented to the user and most of the users have no idea it's Linux:Inside.
Respectfully disagree. The only way to get to the average user (and therefore, to mass adoption) is to present a functional, consistent UI. Once that is achieved, then and only then will the user appreciate the stability, privacy, and flexibility that the underlying Linux OS provides. Given the diversity of distributions and Linux-based products, for communication purposes I would root for something similar to the "Intel inside" logo. The average user didn't need to know anything about processor design and
Re: (Score:2)
I understand your sentiment, but that'd a lot like claiming UNIX has X percent because the Mac is a certified UNIX system. ChromeOS is pretty far from Linux in terms of how it is presented to the user and most of the users have no idea it's Linux:Inside.
Respectfully disagree. The only way to get to the average user (and therefore, to mass adoption) is to present a functional, consistent UI. Once that is achieved, then and only then will the user appreciate the stability, privacy, and flexibility that the underlying Linux OS provides. Given the diversity of distributions and Linux-based products, for communication purposes I would root for something similar to the "Intel inside" logo. The average user didn't need to know anything about processor design and manufacturing, but the logo was, for some time, a very effective marketing strategy.
What about "Linux inside" or something similar to define this category? It would also work for a smart marketing campaign...
Good points. The challenge is, given Linux' fragmented nature, presenting
a functional, consistent UI
Companies selling boxes don't want to have to mess with OS UI design, they want one that user' can use out of the box and runs the programs their customers want on their boxen. Linux' strength is a san open source software people are free to adapt it to their needs, but that is also a weakness when it comes to marketing because it fragments the market and their isn't a consistent desktop GUI or interface standards. A lot of the stu
Re: Chromebooks really don't count (Score:1)
What separates Linux from Unix from macOS?
Seriously, looked at one way they are very similar on one level but very different on another, just curious.
Re: (Score:2)
so should desktops and laptops in public and private offices under ms corporate capture ...
Bots (Score:5, Insightful)
AI bots, clearly. This is a change in just 30 days? Someone launched a new service. It isnâ(TM)t some magic new abandonment of Windows.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
The methodologies of these surveys are often mysterious and when we find out how they work they are usually bad, so you shouldn't take any particular major change seriously unless you know specifically why it happened. If you read statcounter's FAQ, they basically say they publish data as they get it, and then say they make some modifications, and then say that's basically publishing data as they get it, pinky swear! So you probably shouldn't take it seriously ever.
I started using Linux at a time when it wa
Re: (Score:2)
These companies count for marketing purposes, so they have "Android" as whole different category. The crawlers argument doesn't look that simple to me, as most bots are either identifiable as bots, or mask as Windows (most bots that look for exploits) or iPhone (e.g. Google bot, possibly testing for SEO fraud or maybe actually if the page renders well on mobile devices).
Re:Bots (Score:5, Interesting)
Re: (Score:2)
So they reclassified Unknown AI as Linux. The point the OP made remains the same. Linux is absolutely the OS of choice for all AI related things including AI agents, and crawlers.
10% of desktop users being Linux is just a statistic that doesn't remotely reflect real world usage. I'm serious, go out and ask 10 random people in the street what OS they use on their desktop computer. I'm sure you'll need to repeat the experiment many times before ANYONE says Linux.
Statcounter has a long history of complete and
Re: (Score:1)
And, one has to wonder exactly what flavor of *Nix ... bet a fair percentage of that 14% is some kind of Android and some kind of Mac (which counts because it's based on FreeBSD).
The only way that *Nix is ever going to become used widespread (like Windows) is if they can make it capable of running 1,000% of Windows programs _without using an emulator like Proton or WINE_, because using those might run some stuff more-or-less, but the majority won't work quite right.
And, yeah... there's FOSS stuff that can o
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, either there's something wonky about how their counting... or they just asked ChatGPT to gather the "statistics" (which I guess will fall under the former). There's no way there's a five percent swing in such a short period.
Re: (Score:2)
Threw it into Claude to diagnose. The short and sweet version, TLDR
The July 2026 jump to 10.65% in North America is mostly a measurement artifact — StatCounter's "Unknown" category (~9.24% in June) collapsed and that traffic, which skews toward Linux users on privacy-hardened browsers and VPNs, got reclassified as Linux, and the figure is still inside a 45-day revision window from a dataset that already had an acknowledged error in June. Underneath the noise the trend is real but modest: Windows 10's
Trickle theory. (Score:2)
Who Hoo. 2027 will be the year of...another desktop percentage point.
Re: (Score:2)
All jokes aside, and while I still have 5 Windows machines, I'll never build another one. Linux (or macOS) from here on.
Re: Trickle theory. (Score:2)
I was looking at a "minipc" from beelink on amazon.ca and it includes windows 11, at no additional cost. Why would someone do extra work to install Linux?
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:1)
I think if you're asking why they'd do extra work to get rid of Windows 11, then you probably haven't been paying attention to what Windows 11 is and what it's been doing -- and often, what it's been not doing, like "working".
Oddly, 80%+ of corporate users somehow manage to get work done in the windows environment day in and day out...
The most frequent comment I hear from non-technical users is "it's $150 and it comes with Win 11!, not I wonder if Linux will run on it?
Re: (Score:2)
I did exactly this with a Beelink S12 purchased a couple of years ago. It's used as a media/backup server hooked up to a projector. The main reason for running Linux is the sense of security and control - with Windows I can't trust what updates are going to do or when it might self-reboot (you only get W11 home).
Other reasons for me is that Linux can run a lot lighter, I can easily ssh in, md software raid, I find it easier to set up samba and it works better being accessed fro other Linux machines, no ads
Re: (Score:2)
Adoption is a function of existing adoption and existing availability of resources.
Extremely good OS' and truly amazing computers have failed, not because they were too expensive or had issues, but because they were perceived to be unpopular OR simply lacked enough software that could run on them.
Extremely bad OS' and truly awful computers have succeeded for the opposite reason.
Linux has an extremely good architecture, at least for machines that are mostly operating with CPUs. When most of the work is done
Fed up with Windows needing something every start (Score:5, Informative)
Switched to Linux. Yes, after decades you lose a lot of muscle memory advantage and need to find new solutions for things that you already solved in a different environment, but once I got over that initial hurdle, I haven't looked back. Windows only exists as a VM now, for the few Windows-only things. Linux isn't perfect, far from it, but Windows has gotten tiresome and hostile.
Re:Fed up with Windows needing something every sta (Score:5, Insightful)
Windows has gotten tiresome and hostile
If by "has gotten" you imply "in the past thirty years". In that whole time it has been about controlling rather than empowering the customers. Things like overwriting the MBR without asking, the existence of the registry, changing the control panel, generally ruining things that work and that people are used to, fostering monopoly of other Microsoft products, *checks notes* upgrading Windows to the next version without asking for consent. Maybe these things didn't affect you, but they are all real and not new.
Re: Fed up with Windows needing something every st (Score:3)
What's wrong with the Registry? Its original intent was to be a database of all system settings. Linux and Unix has had the same thing from the start, except that the Unix/Linux solution is a directory containing a bunch of files (that is, /etc). They both even have system wide settings trees and individual user settings trees. (On Linux, this would be the dotfiles in your user directory. On Windows, it's just a second root tree in the Registry. HKEY_LOCAL_USER\, if I remember correctly.)
Now, I'll grant you
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Registry is /proc not /etc
Re: Fed up with Windows needing something every s (Score:2)
I forgot about /proc and I think there's also another filesystem that's relevant, /sysfs. The original idea was to make a central /etc, but, yeah, the Registry is a bit more general than I made it sound.
Re: (Score:2)
I understand the sentiment, but Linux really has improved a lot for desktop users, and Windows really has deteriorated to the point where it is a nuisance, not a tool. I have tried Linux before but only ever used it for servers. Now it's my main Desktop. Linux has accomplished a lot but it couldn't have done it without Windows dropping the ball.
Windows 11 is very different (Score:5, Interesting)
Typically Microsoft intentionally bloats their operating systems so that oems have something to sell new computers for. That's a long standing and not terribly secret thing and it's why every new iteration of windows gobbles is much RAM and GPU and CPU as they can. But that wasn't really a factor with Windows 11 or even Windows 10 because we had just gotten to the point where computers were fast enough.
With Windows 11 it's the spyware. It's grinding the computer to a halt so they can monitor what you're doing to train their AI bullshit to replace you at your job. It's also a fuck ton of nasty DRM and other associated nastiness so that corporations can spy on you and control your computer. This makes your computer increasingly unusable. That's a relatively new thing.
Re:Fed up with Windows needing something every sta (Score:5, Funny)
Just wait until you meet and get to interact the FOSS crowd!
Re: (Score:2)
... Windows has gotten tiresome and hostile.
IIRC that happened around 2003-2005... which was when I left Windows for good. Although arguably it was already happening even earlier. I was dual-booting Windows and Red Hat earlier than that on my old Dell Inpiron laptop.
pushed some users to explore alternatives..." (Score:3)
Never made it to 11! Did not have hardware that was required and was not buying it. Its linux for me now.
Generational turnover effect (Score:2)
I went to school 20 years ago and everything was (then still-alive) solaris/bsd or (then new) Linux. University web infrastructure, engineering school computer lab thin clients, etc.
When I started work, it was a little different, but the same effect. Most of the legacy systems were from the early 90s and made for solaris or hpux. And by the time it was time to port to a more modern os, us new kids naturally gravitated to the path of least resistance and least licensing costs. That was either pure oss linux
Re: (Score:3)
Today's users expect more and can do more (Score:1)
Gamers are experimenting and switching over to Linux. Bazzite, CachyOS, Arch, SteamOS. They are minimizing Windows by dual booting to Windows or using Windows in a VM only when necessary, or they are buying a Switch 2 to play the Free-to-Play games that require anti cheat like Overwatch and Fortnite, and using the PC for games that run in Steam on Linux.
Today's PC users grew up with computers and are more tech literate. They are not brand loyal and have never even heard about Wintel. They are not tied down
As usual, those statistics are usually biased (Score:4, Insightful)
They are usually based on Javascript running off of ad-servers. Since NoScript and other technologies limiting the damage caused by Javscript and advertisements are highly correlated with certain platforms, the results will be skewed severely towards platforms where those are less common.
No it didn't. (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
The Windows 11 lockdown (Score:3)
finally persuaded my wife to switch. I've been on Linux Exclusively since Red Hat 5.2
It is interesting that adoption is higher in the USA. Does this mean that disgruntled Windows users view Linux as a "Freedom" OS?
One of my concerns is up and till now, you've been pretty safe running Linux instead of Windows from getting infected by malware. As more and more users move away from Microsoft and start using Linux the Linux attack surface will become more appealing to the scammers. The attack surface is smaller on Linux due to its design, and the lack of commercial interests adding user convenience features which are a pathway into the OS. (Think auto-executing programs on USB sticks, and broswer execution of some programs).
Of course, Microsoft is likely paying close attention to the migration away from Windows, look to them to add "features" which make it harder to migrate away in future versions. It is probable that Microsoft could take a page from the Oracle or Vmware playbook.
Re: (Score:2)
There's going to be more attacks across the board thanks to AI, but that's a reason to move to Linux, not stay on MS.
Windows 11 really is that bad (Score:2)
People would rather use linux on the desktop.
A thing well made (Score:2)
I have always used Unix or Linux. But over time, the hardware (the design of the physical machine) has risen in importance. And I'm specifically referring to the aesthetic design and craftsmanship of the machine, rather than the power of the CPU, etc.
I think that Apple tends to make well designed machines, and I have, in the past, run Ubuntu on a desktop iMac. It was good experience - You often don't realise how much all those minor irritating hardware imperfections add up, until you use a nice machine.
I th
YOLD (Score:2)
The Year of the Linux Desktop was 1995, for me. I used to spend time advocating Linux. You can still find my old posts on comp.os.linux.advocacy and many mailing lists. But two things happened: I didn't have time for it due to family/career and Linux just got so easy to use it didn't really need my advocacy or help anymore. It has been on a very slow but as it took over pretty much every market *except* the desktop and nothing short of legal action against Microsoft or enforcement of open standards on the p
Statcounter has already corrected their mistake (Score:2)
https://gs.statcounter.com/os-... [statcounter.com]
But Linuxiac article has not been updated to reflect that change.
Re: (Score:3)
I'll correct your mistake about the "mistake" - you pointed to the *global* stats page, whereas we're talking about North American stats , which are indeed just over 10% Linux: https://gs.statcounter.com/os-... [statcounter.com]
Re: (Score:2)
A slow change is still a change. (Score:2)
I'm forced to dick around in Linux less often than I ever had to with Windows. And most of that is simply due to being _able_ to change things I want to change. With Windows, you get what you get and that's basically what you're stuck with.
My Win11 laptop kept kicking back to S Mode after every major update and I completely forgot about that until I had to put the old SSD back in to copy some old browser bookmarks and couldn't start Firefox because that doesn't run in S Mode.
My Bluetooth earbuds that never
Win 10 support extended... (Score:2)
Showing people *really* don't like 11, almost as disliked as 8. So people have been hearing about Linux so long, they look... and find it usable.
And most folks don't need online connections for an office suite, and certainly aren't willing to pay.
Re: (Score:2)
A simplistic view. '"really" don't like' comes down to, in my experience:
- Rejection of change, Doesn't matter what the change is. Just move the Start Menu from left-justified to centered. That's juvenile.
- No more than rumors of enhanced telemetry becoming a serious privacy concern. Rumors are enough. Add in captures of new data and the screamers will blow it up into disproportionate danger. Ignoring their browser, every web site that clandestinely keeps logs that describe your activities, etc. That's a li
Re: (Score:2)
Wrong answer. I haven't run Windows at home since, um, Win95 in '98. My wife runs it, and Does Not Like it (and no, you're wrong again, she once nearly got an A+ certification, so no, she's not ignorant).
Re: Win 10 support extended... (Score:2)
Sure. And, true to form, you didn't offer a reason why you changed from Windows. Your wife's reason seems to be she 'didn't like it'. Choice based on individual and subjective enjoyment, I understand. Rejecting Windows based on security and privacy concerns out to be based on objective analysis, but if to often based on rumor and 'reports' (but I repeat myself).
I've stopped relying on Cory's rants vigilantes. Long time ago.
Re: (Score:2)
Not that I think you'll read this today, but why I quit WinDoze? I got tired of reinstalling Win95.(98 was worse). Win95 was released, according the PC Mag, with over 65k known "issues".
I like Linux - I don't have to screw around with M$ changing menus, changing compatability, and on and on. Oh, and keep paying.
And my wife's issues were with whatever the current version of Civ is, hung her machine.
Re: Win 10 support extended... (Score:2)
Ah. I'm a Windows user from the days when it did not have a version. Played my first computer game, Balance Of Power, back then. Used every version, even ME, supported and maintained my clients machines on everything from Windows 3.1 when I became a tech. Reinstalling 95 and 98 I don't recall as being a big thing, but I was supporting a fairly homogeneous population then. I installed 95 Upgrade Edition and ran it continuously for over 30 days without rebooting. Then the first update broke that, and I learne