Blogger and Linux advocate Robert Pogson reports via one of his many charts that the usage rate for Linux in Finland didn't drop below 2.5 percent any time during the month of April.
When folks went to (work|school), the numbers jumped to over 10 percent (with the last reading shown being 16 percent, which rivals the numbers seen in Uruguay).
Those of you who have griped that you had to buy an approved calculating device because you (aren't|weren't) allowed to use your computers on exams should note the customized spin of Linux that the school system in Finland has for exams.
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Blogger and Linux advocate Robert Pogson reports that, according to StatCounter, pageviews from machines running Linux in Bahrain jumped from 2 percent to 16 percent in less than a week.
One wonders just what's going on there.
His other graph shows that for the last 3 years there has been an uptick in worldwide Linux usage each April; that increase sustains[1] for several months then drops to a level that is slightly higher than the numbers of the previous March and begins a gentle climb until April.
[1] He notes an uncharacteristic divot in the curve this May.
We previously discussed significant Linux usage in Finland and Uruguay. Finland: Torvalds' Homeland is using Linux to be Productive
Original Submission
(Score: 4, Interesting) by frojack on Thursday May 07 2015, @06:57PM
Being Finland's own boy and all. Its largely Microsoft lobbying that keeps Windows in US schools. (Volume Licenses prices for schools are pretty much secret, you really have to dig to find them, but people I know who deal with this in local K-12 schools say it comes down to less than 30 per station, and if you make a couple phone calls, you can get them free). Microsoft will sell Surface Pro tables for less than 300 bucks through schools.
Lots of US schools provide computer labs which are almost ALWAYS Windows, but a lot of schools are using ipads and chromebooks these days with Chromebooks [eweek.com] edging out iPads beginning last year.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 0, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 07 2015, @07:35PM
Finland's own boy is living in the United States for the American Dollars. Finnish Euros aren't good enough for him, because Linus Torvalds is as greedy a bastard as every other greedy bastard.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 07 2015, @08:57PM
Volume Licenses prices
You'd think more folks would realize that that is the ONLY power that MSFT has--and they wield it like a cudgel.
N.B. No one who is inside the loop will tell you this stuff and sign his name to it because the NDA they sign with M$ precludes that.
M$ is a criminal operation.
Ronald Reagan stopped enforcing the Sherman Anti-Trust Act (though it is still on the books) and no president since has reinstated enforcement.
USA.gov is an oligarchy.
Apparently, other countries allow M$ to get away with this nonsense as well.
.
schools
More folks should know the name "Penn Manor". [googleusercontent.com] (orig) [opensource.com]
That school district in Pennsylvania has been mostly-Linux for years.
(They're still weeding out the rare legacy systems.)
Linux is so much better as a learning experience. [googleusercontent.com] (orig) [goodbyemicrosoft.net]
.
Being Finland's own boy and all [...] You'd expect that
Actually, at one time I did--then a Finn started posting to comp.os.linux.advocacy and it became clear that M$ had managed to gain and retain mindshare in Finland.
As you note, M$ moves in immediately and starts convincing gullible people that Redmond can give them "a bargain" that beats $0, no EULA, and no BSA raids.
-- gewg_
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 07 2015, @10:24PM
What part in particular ruffled your feathers?
What is your argument against that?
-- gewg_
(Score: 1, Interesting) by korger on Thursday May 07 2015, @08:50PM
I love Linux as much as anyone around here, but I can't help pointing out that this report is more of a scathing than a praise. Finns are a proud nation, and they have several good reasons for using Linux and shunning Microsoft products, especially after what Elop and Microsoft did to Nokia. If after all this the Linux-usage is a pathetic 2.5%, then it's hard to interpret this any other way than the utter triumph of Microsoft over the whole world. As long as they can force OEMs to preload Windows on PCs, Microsoft will be able to get away with anything, no matter how much they screw up or what poor quality software they produce.
Also I'm curious what the sample size was in the linked image. That solitary spike in Linux-usage on one specific day of the week can be explained a lot better with insufficient data, than with a consistent behavior over a large population for some reason (Linux day, anyone?) I wouldn't be surprised if that steady 2.5% rate corresponded to 1 Linux user each day, meaning that the spikes indicate 4 or 5 users those days. That is a lot more likely, than say a 1000 users going up to 4-5000. Until we know that, this statistics is meaningless.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 07 2015, @10:13PM
Pogson uses Statcounter for his data.
One assumes that the sample sizes are derived the same as for any other Statcounter numbers.[1]
If you have a gripe with the sample sizes, address those to Statcounter.
(Yes, a graph that looks like a bowsaw blade indicates a low sample rate.)
Pogson notes that the absolute numbers are suspect, but thinks that they are useful to indicate *trends*.
Are those trends actual increases in usage or is it that the numbers have looked like that for ages and the counters are being less dishonest than they were in the past?[1]
Who knows for sure?
[1] The data aggregators' methods are questionable.
They are known to purposely diddle the numbers to suit their own prejudices.
- One is prejudiced against all but 2 distros. [google.com]
(The original comment quoted was made at a Ziff-Davis site, so, of course, it was quickly deleted.)
- Another is prejudiced against non-business use. [googleusercontent.com] (orig) [mrpogson.com]
-- gewg_
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 07 2015, @09:22PM
City Fathers of Helsinki State Their Preference for FOSS for Any New Custom IT [europa.eu]
One wonders how long it will be before they notice that using local talent to tweak open code is faster than waiting for proprietary providers to implement and disseminate the desired changes.
...and cheaper than having to pay for[1] the next version of the proprietary app that implements the change.
[1] Notice that I didn't say "buy"; you never own a proprietary app.
-- gewg_
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 08 2015, @01:33AM
The 16 percent count was a bit unusual but numbers over 10 percent have been repeated since early April.
March, April, and the 1st week of May [mrpogson.com]
-- gewg_
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 08 2015, @07:47AM
by the time they wake up in the morning... That is if you use a smartphone as an alarm clock. It's claimed that there are 1.6 billion Androids per 7.2 billion world pop.