news
Just How Prevalent Is Linux?
One thing that binds us all is our love for Linux. Last month, I lamented the “Linux Tribalism” in my “From The Chief Editor’s Desk” column. That got me thinking … just how prevalent is Linux in our daily lives?
Believe it or not, Linux is gaining in popularity. Probably one of the biggest reasons is the ever-increasing hardware demands that accompany every new version of Windows. In fact, that very reason was what drove me from Windows to Linux many moons ago.
Way back in 2006, rumors were circulating about Windows XP’s replacement. Yes, I’m talking about Windows Vista. Among those rumors was the news that this wasn’t going to be an update many users could follow along with without purchasing a new computer. I was among those users who had just recently purchased not one, but two new computers. And neither of those two computers I had purchased would be able to run Windows Vista, due to Vista’s increased hardware requirements. It started me on a quest to find something other than Windows that would run reliably on my newish hardware. Naturally, that led me to Linux, and I never looked back.
Of course, like any noob, I did my fair share of “distro-hopping” as I tried out various Linux distros. I tried Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Lubuntu, Xubuntu, OpenSuse, Puppy, and several others that have faded from my memory. And then, I found PCLinuxOS. My quest had finally ended, and I’ve stayed with PCLinuxOS ever since. And, that was way back in 2007.