[OSopinion]BSD Desktop Share Triples That of Linux

BSD Desktop Share Triples That of Linux Kelly McNeill February 15, 2002 According to published reports, Ernest Prabhakar of Apple Computer (Nasdaq: AAPL) informed attendees at the USENIX BSD Conference earlier this week that BSD is now three times more popular than Linux on the desktop.

BSD's rapid rise in share is obviously due to Mac OS X's UNIX heritage, which incorporates Free BSD's kernel in the underlying core of Apple's new OS. And OS X is targeted directly at desktop consumers.

Linux aficionados have always yearned for increased desktop share. While Linux is a perfectly capable one for desktop use, its key strengths reside primarily on the server side as opposed to the desktop side.

Perhaps this is the reason why Linux is mopping the floor with its competition in the server segment but has not yet secured a significant desktop presence.

Bad Comparison

Thus, bragging about BSD's desktop share over Linux' might be likened to an individual bragging that he is the fastest downhill skier in all of Egypt. While it may be true, one must ask if such an achievement is worth boasting about.

Nonetheless, I can understand why BSD users may want to scream the latest statistics from the rooftops. The various BSDs are just as capable as Linux (some would argue more so), but it has been Linux that traditionally has managed to garner the majority of the media's attention.

Now that BSD is getting a fair time allotment in the spotlight, its users have every right to boast. I would only argue that it is not in Apple's best interest to lead this effort, as Mr. Prabhakar did earlier this week.

Fighting the Little Guy?

Following corporate rivalries between large and influential technology entities is a fun pastime for many of us. But because Linux is composed primarily of independent coders (rather than a large corporate entity), Apple risks conveying the notion (as ill-conceived as it may be) that it is doing battle against the very demographic that it hopes to entice.

In short, those consumers may perceive that a large corporate entity is doing battle against the little guy.

If it is initially believed by a Linux consumer that the Apple/BSD relationship produces a more compelling solution than the OS he currently uses, that potential convert may be lost if the martyr instinct sets in and causes him to resist making the transition out of spite.

Stay Out of It

It might be wise to leave the market-share boasting efforts to the core BSD community. They're a rowdy enough group that they can get the message out when need be.

Apple, the BSD community will continue to sing your praises as long as your efforts continue to further their cause.

how many times do journalists need telling? Mac OSX is not based on the FreeBSD kernel, it's based on Mach - which was forked from BSD Unix years before FreeBSD existed. Apple have simply brought NeXTSTEP upto date by adding some userland stuff from FreeBSD. The GUI is an update of NeXTSTEP's as well, and apart from looking nice, is not much of an improvement. On the G4 in my brothers office Mac OSX is very, very slow. If you want a non-networkable GUI (ie. not the X Window system) or need to run Mac apps (albeit slowly) then try OSX. Otherwise stick with a simpler, better configured alternative like the free BSD's.

The odd thing is the way Apple has gotten the BSD crowd largely behind them. I don't see the portions of OSX that have been released back to the community as being very beneficial, seeing as they're Mach based. All that seems to be happening is that a cunning plan by Apple to get some technical kudos has paid off. The old Mac OS was a mess, showing its poor design and age. Now they're suddenly the poster child of the BSD crowd.

Chris

I hear everyone tell each other day and nite about how Apple is supposed to be amazing with GUI design. (Which I thnk is pure BS from the older days)

I also hear everyone tell each other day and nite about how Apple computers really are better for multimedia/p0rn/etc. (can't argue with that one, x86 pc's do suck)

hell, OS-X even sounds cooler than linux does

Then I look at linux, and I see very little. I see an operating system where the various GUI's don't even have a standard API (Gnome and KDE come to mind.) I see an operating system in which even getting OpenGL support can be a pure pain in the ass. (DRI support for Mach64 core comes to mind.) I see an operating system that commercial software vendors have a harder time willing to write "desktop software" (Games, productivity software come to mind.)

So when I hear of apple's OS-X being 3 times more popular than linux, I laugh. With all the advantages apple has over linux, how in the world is apple only THREE times more popular than linux?!

apple must be doing something wrong ... *ahem* ...

Sunny Dubey

sunny (@) madduck (.) net

PS: and no, OS-X is not a bsd, sorry, it just isn't