I do use it as a drop-in replacement for Windows (and I don't use Mac). No dual-boot. So, I use Linux exclusively for everything I do.
That said, I 100% agree with the issue of fragmentation, that was raised by the author in the article. I spoke to a software developer one time, and he expressed frustration with the idea of developing software for Linux because of the need for different versions for different flavors of Linux.
That being said, there is a huge amount of different software made for Linux - in some ways even more than for other platforms. For example, want to program in just about any programming language? There's almost certainly a version of it for Linux. The same can not be said true of Mac or Windows. Another point supporting that is even with the different package managers around, pick just one - Synaptic for example - and browse it. There's probably a lot more available there, and for free, than there is reliable freeware for Mac or Windows.
Lastly, one thing the author did not consider mentioning was the relatively common usage of Ubuntu and Ubuntu-based distros. I don't have figures for this, but I have noticed when installing software, that if a software is made for Windows, Mac and Linux, instead of making 5 different Linux versions, some developers opt to make one Linux version, and in that case it's usually Ubuntu-compatible. So, I'm wondering if, over time, Ubuntu and Ubuntu-based distros will eventually become a sort of "standard" Linux for developers to develop for.
I also only use Linux and have for 13 years...I see Debian based distros,like Ubuntu being the standard with Red Hat and Android,etc. being in the background.
So, yes, 2019 will be the year of Linux end users who don’t know they’re Linux end users. But, “the” Linux desktop as a mass-market alternative to Windows? No, that’s not ever going to happen, not as long as Linux developers can’t play on the same page.
I do use it as a drop-in replacement for Windows (and I don't use Mac). No dual-boot. So, I use Linux exclusively for everything I do.
That said, I 100% agree with the issue of fragmentation, that was raised by the author in the article. I spoke to a software developer one time, and he expressed frustration with the idea of developing software for Linux because of the need for different versions for different flavors of Linux.
That being said, there is a huge amount of different software made for Linux - in some ways even more than for other platforms. For example, want to program in just about any programming language? There's almost certainly a version of it for Linux. The same can not be said true of Mac or Windows. Another point supporting that is even with the different package managers around, pick just one - Synaptic for example - and browse it. There's probably a lot more available there, and for free, than there is reliable freeware for Mac or Windows.
Lastly, one thing the author did not consider mentioning was the relatively common usage of Ubuntu and Ubuntu-based distros. I don't have figures for this, but I have noticed when installing software, that if a software is made for Windows, Mac and Linux, instead of making 5 different Linux versions, some developers opt to make one Linux version, and in that case it's usually Ubuntu-compatible. So, I'm wondering if, over time, Ubuntu and Ubuntu-based distros will eventually become a sort of "standard" Linux for developers to develop for.
I also only use Linux and have for 13 years...I see Debian based distros,like Ubuntu being the standard with Red Hat and Android,etc. being in the background.
Agreed,and that won't happen.