A Linux Wish List
Many online discussions exist where people argue about The Year of the Linux Desktop. I would love seeing Linux become wildly popular on the desktop, but I do not see that happening soon.
Here is why.
- Missing GUI controls and options. Developers need to learn that most users will not use a terminal or edit a config file.
- Developers treating software as their personal playground. When they do this things break — often.
- Similar to the previous item, is a hobbyist approach to development rather than a professional focus.
- Failure to include non technical users when testing software.
- Not all desktop environments or distros include an update notifier.
- Resistance to abandoning NIH attitudes.
- Not solving compatibility issues with Windows.
- Refusing to abandon rapid release models with respect to end-users.
I do not foresee any of the above changing soon unless there is an obvious enterprise effort to create a Linux desktop operating system. The Red Hat, Ubuntu, and Suse folks have the framework to make that happen, but they want to support the server space rather than desktop users.
For the record I only use Linux on my computers. I have one Windows system and I do not use that system for anything productive.
Posted: Category: Usability Tagged: General
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