Opinion: Wasn't 2025 the year it happened? Yes. No. Answers on a Christmas card

As Torvalds pointed out in 2019, is that while some major hardware vendors do sell Linux PCs – Dell, for example, with Ubuntu – none of them make it easy. There are also great specialist Linux PC vendors, such as System76, Germany’s TUXEDO Computers, and the UK-based Star Labs, but they tend to market to people who are already into Linux, not disgruntled Windows users. No, one big reason why Linux hasn’t taken off is that there are no major PC OEMs strongly backing it. To Torvalds, Chromebooks “are the path toward the desktop.”

  • CommanderShepard@lemmy.worldEnglish
    23·
    15 minutes ago

    Like mentioned in the article, another issue is that there are very few offerings of computers with Linux preinstalled in normal computer stores.

    You know how a normal average persons buys new laptops? They go to such store and look at the prices and buy one according to how much they want to spend. The advanced buyers might consult their more tech-savvy acquaintances. Stuff like “Just install Linux”, is beyond concept comprehension for a lot of people, even if they heard about Linux at all.

    All to say is that it’s not like they can’t understand these concepts if you explain them (people are clever), but they should care about them in the first place.

    Edit: typo

    • restingboredface@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      1·
      2 hours ago

      Agreed. We are in an age where tech is spoonfed to people with slick UIs and automated installs. Linux needs that–some kind of easy onramp to get people comfortable and familiar with it–in order to have a chance of getting broad acceptance. It’s not particularly accessible even for people with a small amount of tech knowledge and skill.

      I tried to set up mint on an old laptop recently and immediately hit a roadblock before I could even get an install going. I did some research and found some options to troubleshoot it but gave up because the guidance I found online was a bit more complex than I felt comfortable acting on.

      I really want to try out Linux, but if someone like me (with some technology knowledge and comfort) still gets this easily tripped up on installing it, I can’t imagine the average person taking the leap successfully.