Will Linux finish off the Mac 3137

On Tue, 08 Mar 2005 13:55:09 -0800, Tony Lawrence

The people at LinuxWorld using Macs were *nix users using Macs not Mac users who were interested in Linux. I'll explain the difference. OS X sits on top of BSD so it gives you a complete *nix environment including GNU tools and most importantly X windows. This allows the Mac to natively integrate into a *nix environment of both Linux and Unix machines. The Mac piece of OS X gives the user access to commercial desktop applications as well as the multimedia capabilities (i.e. Quicktime and Window Media, neither of which is available for Linux). So for technical users the Mac makes a fine workstation because it handles both the *nix style jobs as well as desktop type applications. For Mac users, defined by Mike as arty types, the BSD underpinnings of the Mac are invisible. To them the Mac is an easy to use desktop system only. They aren't interested in the low level operation of their systems, they just want them to "Do the Right Thing" which is what the Mac is designed to do. Linux users are on the opposite end of the spectrum, they what to be able to customize every aspect of their systems from the kernel on up. Linux, by it's very nature, has a myriad of choices at every level of the system. That's great for the technically savvy user who enjoys optimizing every aspect of their computing experience. It's terrifying to most everyone else who just wants to be able to send an e-mail and play a movie.

It's hard to see how Linux can have any negative effect on the Mac market, in fact it slightly strengthens it because it gives the Mac a place in the corporate environment as front ends for Linux servers. It's also hard to see how the Mac has much effect on the Linux market. It might steal a handful of workstation positions but by integrating the *nix and desktop worlds it probably creates even more opportunities for Linux servers as well as other Linux workstations in the environment.