Linux has won

Alan Johnson alan at datdec.com
Wed Dec 15 11:15:18 EST 2010


On Wed, Dec 15, 2010 at 10:24 AM, Benjamin Scott <dragonhawk at gmail.com>wrote:

>  So, while I've been slaving away in the world of corporate IT, it
> appears Linux has quietly won the OS war.  I just didn't notice.
> Linux may already be out-shipping Microsoft Windows.
>
>  Work has me shopping for a large flat panel display for a conference
> room.  It appears that it is quite difficult, if not impossible, to
> buy a TV that is not running Linux internally.  Every manufacturer
> spec I've seen so far has had a GPL notice pointing to Linux kernel
> source code.  And while personal computers have certainly much more
> pervasive over the years, they've still got nothing on the boob tube.
>

Yeah, between that and Android (plus other Linux phones with more sure to
follow shortly), we are certainly very close if not there already.  I don't
even know anyone who wants Windows 7 Mobile on their phone, let alone anyone
who has one.  Anyone?

On a tangent, I get a kick out of Intel's adds lately telling me that I'm
going to be able to do all this "cool" Internet stuff with my the new TV
with Intel Inside that they want me to buy so I can pick from a handful of
apps in their store and connect my TV to the Facebook account I don't have
or want.  The kick comes from seeing the adds on Hulu and Comedy Central
being viewed on my 8+ old year old 52" rear projection screen with a little
Ubuntu box on top.

My TV has "been on the Internet" for about 4 years now, and I imagine many
of you have done so as well.  Now, this group may be early adopters of such
tech, but as Ben points out, most new TVs already come with some kind of
fairly capable computer built into them, many with Boxee or similar
functionality.  Apple TV's been our for years.  Granted many of those
systems have Intel Inside (including the Dell Hybrid on my set) but Intel
want the general public to think they are directly responsible for brining
this innovation that's already here, and they are likely to be successful.
Remember when they did the same thing with Wifi a few years ago?  I spent a
memorable bit of the 2nd 2 years of my time in the wireless consulting biz
explaining to average users that the Intel Centrino was not the invention of
wireless LANs.

So, you've got to hand it to Intel marking.  Sleaziness aside, they sure
know how to manipulate the ignorance of the average consumer.  =)
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