Now to reference some stuff:
'.....netbooks had failed to make Linux palatable to the mainstream and that disgruntled consumers were shunning the cheap software for easier to set-up, closed source, proprietary Windows instead.
"There were a lot of netbooks loaded with Linux, which saves $50 or $100 or whatever, but from an industry standpoint, there were a lot of returns because people didn't know what to do with it," said Kohurt.
The Lenovo analyst also reckoned people were put off by having to "decompile codes and upload data", claiming "the average person, well, they just want a computer."
Kohurt whined that it was "just too hard" to have to go to a website and download bits of code, adding "Linux needs to get to the point where if you want to plug something in, Linux loads the driver and it just works."'
In general, not entirely unfounded. Linux really isn't for anyone. When I started using Ubuntu Linux (which I totally love BTW), my Google usage skyrocketed a good 2000% (and the proportional increase in the number of bookmarks saved). I had to figure out how to get it to work with my Windows network workgroup (and how to 'see' NTFS for that matter). To this day, I still can't get it to quite play nice with my network printers. To be fair, there is some truth to Ubuntu's slogan "It just works". I have never seen such a painless install that had every single component work right off the bat (without me having to go in and install stuff). It just worked.
The trick is, how to get the stuff that didn't work from the get go. To the average user, it really is a hit or miss kinda deal. Again in the defense of Linux, if you look around, you will find a community that is just overflowing with eagerness to help you out. I have yet to see a 'LOL you n00b' attitude when people genuinely are beginners and asking for help (something that is super rare amongst the e-community of techies - IDK, nerdy IRL dorks need to assert themselves virtually I guess haha). But even with that, do you imagine someone say, an elderly folk or a young kid that would go through all that trouble? Not really. They won't do command lines (which you pretty much need to do anything that involves stuff outside your Home folder in Ubuntu). Downloading an installer is easier than finding code and compiling it to install drivers/programs (though I absolutely whole heartedly love Package Managers - installers should be outdated coz of it haha).
So I totally agree with the writer of the article on this one. Linux is a lot of fun to the right people (those who love tinkering). Not so much to the people that think downloading an installer, double clicking, and potentially clicking on UAC's 'OK' button a few times is a HUGE pain in the ass.
But then again, Linux never was catered to the faint of heart. :)
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