SHARE
Facebook X Pinterest WhatsApp

Top 4 Reasons Windows Wins and Linux Loses

Today, you can do everything you want with a Linux desktop, except play the latest games. Even there, Linux is catching up. So why do only a handful of people run Linux instead of Windows? Here are my top four reasons why Windows wins and Linux loses. Before I start, though, let me say—because people […]

Jan 4, 2007
Channel Insider content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More

Today, you can do everything you want with a Linux desktop, except play the latest games. Even there, Linux is catching up. So why do only a handful of people run Linux instead of Windows? Here are my top four reasons why Windows wins and Linux loses.

Before I start, though, let me say—because people always assume I’m anti-Linux when I write pieces like this—that I use Linux desktops every day. I’m writing this on a SLED (SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop) 10 system, I run MEPIS 6.01 and Xandros Professional Desktop 4.1 on my laptops, and on my other desktops that I use at least weekly, you’ll find Freespire 1.0, Fedora Core 6, and openSUSE 10.2. In short, I use Linux. I love Linux. But, that doesn’t mean I’m blind to business reality, Windows virtues, or Linux flaws.

So, without further adieu, the No. 1 reason why Linux trails in the desktop races.

1. The installed base

There are, what, hundreds of millions of Windows XP and 2000 systems still out there and working? That’s a lot of systems. That’s a lot of people who know nothing but Windows.

Canonical CEO Mark Shuttleworth claims that there are at least 8 million Ubuntu Linux desktops alone out there. I wish I could believe that number, but I don’t.

I could believe that there are 8 million total Linux desktops out there. If we accept that there are 8 million Linux desktops out there, based on IDC’s Linux market share estimates that would mean we’re talking over a billion Windows desktops out there. Ouch.

Read the full story on DesktopLinux.com: Top 4 reasons Windows wins and Linux loses

Check out eWEEK.com’s for the latest open-source news, reviews and analysis.

Recommended for you...

August M&A Roundup: CrowdStrike, Accenture Moves & More
Jordan Smith
Sep 4, 2025
Lyra Technology Group CEO on Scaling Local MSP Model, AI & More
What MSPs Should Keep in Mind as They Deploy Agentic AI
Why Customers & Partners See Added Value With Coralogix
Channel Insider Logo

Channel Insider combines news and technology recommendations to keep channel partners, value-added resellers, IT solution providers, MSPs, and SaaS providers informed on the changing IT landscape. These resources provide product comparisons, in-depth analysis of vendors, and interviews with subject matter experts to provide vendors with critical information for their operations.

Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2025 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.