Even though i am a Linux, Mac and Windows user I can point out many reasons why Linux wont ever be like Windows. Most of the time, these reasons have nothing to do with the user base. Instead, the problems come from vendors and corporate developers. Venders do not release many if any drivers for Linux based systems. This forces some developers (skilled and unskilled) to write drivers for these devices that do not always work with all of the versions of linux nor do they always provide full functionality of the hardware. Plus, these take time to be released so brand new hardware might not work. As for developers, since Linux is open source and will always be that way, there is no profit made by writing software for it. All it does it get your name out there and possibly provide you with a little bit of income off of advertisments. Many professional softwares take years to create with large teams of developers and this is hard to collaborate in Linux when the developers are all around the world with their own adjendas and no one picture being the actual picture of where the product is to go.

Hi All,

There are several reasons why Linux can not be as popular as Windows is. I think mainly the concept of its birth tells it all. it was made by developers for developers.
For example lets look at one of the most important features of windows: the automatic hardware detection. Like someone ahs pointed on it before, you simply plug in a flash disk, and voilá, it works. Nothing to do with it. But how it works for linux: you plug it in, check the sdX slots, and if you found it, you mount it to the filesystem. this is not user friendly. Don't get me wrong, this post is made on a Debian Linux, so I like these features. I like to know what is happening under my hands, and I am mostly also curious about the why.
But because most people use only the basic programs in a computer (e.g. Office, internet), they require an idiot proof user interface.
Besides, there are some Linux distributions, which intent is to make it as similar in look and usage to Windows as possible. I am not sure this will help, because in my opinion, for this they would need to give up (at least partially) the very concept of Linux.
But maybe it is worthy... What do you think?

I have read the previous posts, and there were some paragraphs regarding to Vista. Can someone let me know more about it? I little of it. I have seen some skins, some demos, and heard about some features, but that is all. Is anyone more informed than me? I am sure you are. Give me a hand with this

When I first bought my computer it came with pre-stalled windows. At that time I did'nt know anything about using a PC. I learnt using it by just trying out everything, whatever I liked and eventually learnt most of the things in a few months. But still I did'nt know what an OS was. I just thought computer was computer thats it all computers work same way. After that I learnt about different OSs and other stuff, then tried linux with the same computer newbie attitude, tried out everything I thought of and I equally know linux(only one particular distro) as much as windows. It makes no difference. I just want an OS.

Linux !=windows

But Windows = OS and LINUX = OS

I love windows I'm so used to it I know some people say its similar in a way to linux I just can't see that, I am so satisfied with windows

In the same way, well-meaning Linux newcomers make suggestions about making Linux more like what they're used to. And they get nowhere, for all the same reasons. Linux and Windows might both be used for the same purposes, but so are a car & motorbike. That doesn't mean you can swap directly from one to the other, and it doesn't mean features can or should be swapped directly from one to the other.

No No I think Linux is better in networking and web servers than windows

I agree with almost everything here that shoots down windows. they monopolize everything. although they are cheap and pretty much the most common os, that does not make them the greatest by any means. infact, i believe that almost every os trumps them because windows is too easy that a monkey could learn it, and with ease comes painfully long steps for users who know what they are doing. by elimiating that, and making the user learn, an os maker gains an advantage in all the peoples minds who actually know what they are doing.

Take OS X, for instance. they were the first, and by far stil the greatest, but the only reason windows is ahead is because it was built for people who didnt know what the hell they were doing. its a completely new-user related os. and because it attracted people for being so, software companies went with windows for the most money. however, now OS X is coming back and linux is not far behind...

And with linux, its an overall great os. perfect for stable users who know what they are doing. although it takes time to learn because most people are adjusted to windows, it becomes easy with use, just as windows did when you first used it (although for me, it came naturally)

And because of all of that, windows was able to gather a crowd, monopolize, and dominate everything...yes everything...

Microsoft will certainly not do anything like that because the PC s are meant to be upgradable usable as per one's desire. Otherwise people would simpoly buy macs because with their parallelize feature they allow dual booting with Vista. Anyways Microsoft would not have many supporters. Also companies like Dell are already offering desktops preloaded with Linux. So there is definitely a market there. And it can only grow bigger. On the other hand Microsoft continues to make enemies. And few would ever agree to shut Linux out.

Microsoft certainly will. They already have. You can't upgrade components after installing the WGA, for example, because modifying the system counts as installing it on a separate system, even if it is not actually re-installed.
People would not "simply buy macs", because the most part of Windows users have absolutely no idea what an operating system is, let alone how to install one (which they have to do to get the dual boot on the Mac, right?).
Microsoft does not have supporters. They have sheeple. Anyone who is actually knowledgeable enough to have an opinion on Windows must have tried something else, so they at least have something to compare it to, right? And most people I know who have tried something else for more than a few weeks have stayed with it.
Dell is buying licenses for SuSE from Novell, but due to Novell being @$$r4p'd by Microsoft, the deal goes via M$ rather than directly between Dell and Novell. This is one reason Novell is hated by a large and growing number of people. M$ is making money from Dell selling Linux pre-installed.

Personally I t