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May 17, 2008

Today, most Linux servers that have been installed in the past two years are made to handle considerable workloads that traditionally would have run only on more capable Unix-based operating systems requiring more expensive hardware that is faster, with more RAM and more powerful processors.

With all else being equal, today's modern Linux servers run on less costly motherboards, with a lot less RAM and more affordable CPUs.

Now industry observers are starting to say that this application area is rapidly maturing. However, it is now expected that opportunity for ongoing growth is in most developing countries.

Despite all the confusion over Windows Vista, the companies that focus on Linux as a business have yet to deliver a go-to-market proposition that is compelling for the consumer, for the retailer, distributors and original equipment manufacturers.

At least as far as Linux-on-the-desktop is concerned. It's one thing to buy Linux servers, but to the great majority of people, a Windows desktop is all they know and are famaliar with. Add to that the fact that most PC users today also don't appreciate having to start learning all over something they already did in the past.

Nevertheless, there are also some observers that are saying that today's consumer segment is the fastest growing potential market for Linux-based desktop solutions. The rise of the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project and the ASUS Eee PC, together with Microsoft's reaction to them, is proof that the consumer market is opportunity rich.

So the question is, will Linux be the platform that delivers just good enough in time to create a paradigm shift from the desktop and laptop to the new-school of wireless enabled consumer devices?

Nobody can answer that question with any reasonable accuracy for now, but we must consider what will become of those who will not or cannot change their computing practices.

Expect to see a 'transition market' and there will always be a residual market. This is perhaps the area that should be the target for most Linux and open source solutions development. Some may look at this as a potential training ground for the disruptive change that may follow.

Nevertheless, a great majority of people and computer users today still feel that the Linux operating system holds a lot of promise, both today and in the near future.

Source: B.C.L.A.

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