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Laptops and Desktops running Linux continue to sell out

When I decided to buy an Asus Eee I had a hard time finding one.  Amazon was sold out.  Buy.com was sold out.  Many of the smaller websites I found were also sold out, and claimed they would be in stock again on some future date.

This made me think of the desktop being sold at WalMart running gOS, a somewhat controversial Linux variant.  It sold out almost immediately.  A quick look shows that it still is unavailable, even on the WalMart website.

So far, the numbers garnered by web statistics show Linux usage is not gaining momentum.  This suprises me, but I don't doubt the numbers.  I doubt many Linux users are without Internet access.  The two go hand in hand.  I also doubt many people continue to surf by changing their user agent.  Unlike a few years ago, nearly every website I use today accomidates Firefox on Linux, so there is almost never a need to fake my user agent like there used to be.  I expect the numbers we see through web analytics are fairly accurate.

I've heard some claim there isn't a demand for Linux.  I'll grant you, these PCs are being sold in quantities that are tiny compared to a typical Windows computer.  But, I still think it's clear from these sell-outs that there is demand, and that so far it isn't being met. 

And lets face it, these desktops and laptops being sold with Linux tend to be pretty ugly with low end hardware.  No one is releasing attractive hardware with an attractive customized Linux desktops.  Linux can be made to be quite attractive.  Further, only Dell is providing a powerful distribution that exposes users to the full wonderful world of Linux software.  These pre-built offerings typically offer a slimmed down desktop, that while simple, can leave users stuck in a walled garden.  I haven't seen anything yet that shows a Linux desktop at its best.  If these can sell out, I can only imagine what would happen if someone sold a machine preinstalled with a version of Linux that was as pretty as a Mac (it can be done), and as powerful and easy to use as Ubuntu.

I never like these statements of "this is the year of Linux on the desktop", so I won't say that.  It may be that Linux never does capture the desktop.  Based on what I see today, I'm not giving up hope either.

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  1. voislav (not verified)
    Mon, 12/03/2007 - 8:42am
    These are very low-end machines and they are selling like crazy because they are cheap, not because they run Linux. We've reached a point where current software (well 99.9% of it) runs just as fast on a low-end machine so there is no need to spend $1000 on a new computer that will start Firefox 1.23 seconds faster. Microsoft is shooting itself in the foot by pricing Vista (or XP) out of the low end market, opening a pretty big door for Linux to jump in. It's going to be interesting to see if they produce a crippled version of Windows/Office that sells for $50 when the new Windows comes out.
  2. Steve (not verified)
    Mon, 12/03/2007 - 2:11pm
    I've spent the day skimming blogs on why Linux should be on every desktop, or, conversely, why it isn't. Interesting arguments, either way. But, a fact that seems to be continuously ignored and what the sell-out of the "low-end" Linux systems demonstates is that most folks just want to access the internet to read their emails, shop, and view some news source. A few other "advanced users" will download music and photos. Most are still hard-wired to the web, either broadband or dial-up. In a nutshell, the low-end systems can easily accomplish these tasks. And, the mid- to higher-end systems offer nothing that will attract the typical user. Gaming is for "other boxes" and their TV set. If they need office productivity software they utilize it at work, or load a copy of Office 2000 on their home system. Most folks can't follow the file path "wizardry" of Windows, much less be expected to follow the logical illogic of Linux. But, if the options are limited the computing world becomes a kinder, safer place...
  3. ht (not verified)
    Tue, 12/04/2007 - 8:57am
    Help, I've been using windows since 1989, and am a geek to lots of friends, so I'm pretty handy with (especially) XP. Recently put XP on a computer I bought at Walmart that had Vista on it. Have this new PC, an old PC, and an Averatec Laptop three years old. I'm ready to switch, where do I begin, I have an Ubuntu disc that someone gave me. I'll have to keep one PC with XP for my wife who uses Printmaster and always has and loves it . Thanks for any help. ht
  4. Chris Lees (not verified)
    Wed, 12/05/2007 - 6:35am
    Ht, please repost this question to www.ubuntuforums.org. The people there will be able to help you better. Until then, set the BIOS on the PCs to boot from CD/DVD, put the Ubuntu disc in, and then start up. Ubuntu will run from the CD so you can try it out. When you want to install it, double-click on the "Install" button on the desktop and choose the option to erase the whole hard disk. When Ubuntu is installed, if there's something you don't understand, search the Ubuntu Forums for answers; if that doesn't help, then post there. Good luck!