Is desktop Linux too fragmented to succeed?
If one desktop Linux distribution were to gain a significant lead over all the others, it could boost mainstream Linux adoption significantly. After all, desktop Linux makes a compelling replacement for Windows XP for organizations about to refresh their hardware or software, offering lower per-head costs than a move to Vista or Windows 7. But so far, the ideal Linux desktop remains a moving target.
Unlike Windows or Mac OS X, each of which is the product of a single vendor, Linux comes in many different distributions that target the desktop, and each has its own look and feel. Some are based on the Gnome desktop environment, while others use KDE, and still others let the user choose between both. Icons, color schemes, desktop backgrounds, menus, directory arrangements, control panels, and available software choices will all vary depending on which distribution is installed. We speak of Linux as if it were a single, coherent entity, but from the user's perspective, there's really no such thing.
Having a single version of Linux as the de facto standard for the enterprise desktop would make training easier, increase Linux's attractiveness to individual home users, and lower barriers of entry for commercial software vendors.
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re: Linux frag
Of course it is.
You have tens of thousands of developers all singing their own song all just oh so sure their way is the best (*cough* KDE 4 *cough*)
Since it's not the OS but the APP's that determine a desktop OS's success this pretty much dooms Linux to a hobby/fanboy/niche market on the desktop.