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For six years, the Internet Nexus served as my technology blog, but I've since started blogging at the SuperSite Blog instead. If you're looking for the blog, please head there. --Paul

Friday, December 17, 2004

Linux market dwarfs Apple

ZDNet:

IDC estimates Linux will have 7% of the desktop market in 2008, up from 3% now. This makes it a "mainstream" operating system, according to IDC.

So does that mean the Macintosh isn’t? IDC doesn’t say. IDC doesn’t have to.

IDC previously estimated the 2008 Linux server market at $9 billion, and now has Linux with $11 billion in servers, and another $10 billion in PCs. In this study the total Linux "ecosystem" market grows almost 26% per year, to $35.7 billion in 2008.

Your mileage will vary, of course. These are guesses, estimates, extrapolations, what I like to call "hockey sticks" because that’s what the numbers, when graphed, usually look like. Time, in other words, will tell.

If 7 percent is "mainstream," then what is 1.7 percent? Niche. Will the success of the iPod change that? No.

[ Posted at 11:00 PM | Permalink ]