SoylentNews

canopic jug [soylentnews.org] writes:

Linuxiac has noticed that desktop GNU/Linux has surpassed 4% global market share [linuxiac.com]. This is notable for two reasons. First, it is notable because the move from 3% to 4% took months and not years. Second, there are so many barriers to getting Linux on the desktop that this is a substantial change.

Linux has surpassed a 4% share in the desktop operating system market as of the end of February 2024. According to the latest data from StatCounter [statcounter.com], a leading web traffic analysis tool, Linux’s market share has reached 4.03%.

At first glance, the number might seem modest, but it represents a significant leap. Let’s break it down. It took Linux 30 years to secure a 3% share of desktop operating systems [linuxiac.com], a milestone reached last June.

Impressively, the open-source operating system has surged by an additional 1% in the last eight months.

Linux (and sometimes GNU/Linux) dominates fully in all other areas: servers, routers, various embedded devices (cars, televisions, lawn mowers, etc), mobile phones, interplanetary satellites, and supercomputers. The desktop is the last remaining market, albeit a highly symbolic one. As usual, it is way too early to speculate about "year of the Linux desktop". However, when one can (once again) walk into a big box store and buy a GNU/Linux system off the shelf, that market can be considered won over.

Original Submission