For the first time, Linux has officially broken the 5% desktop market share barrier in the United States of America! It's a huge milestone for open-source and our fantastic Linux community. While many might think of Linux as a niche choice, this new data shows a significant shift is happening. (It's worth noting that some data reporting issues mean OS X and macOS are sometimes split, even though macOS is the newer branding for OS X. When combined, Apple's desktop presence is around 24%).
I don't think so. I'm suspicious of this report, as I suspect macOS has a higher concentration and Windows less. I don't have data to support my suspicion, but the evidence I see with my own eyes shows a LOT of people use Macs. And since 99.9% of them are likely running macOS (Apple makes it very difficult to run a "Hackintosh"), my guess is that Apple has some 40% of the market and Microsoft has less than indicated.
You might be right on a personal PC level, but not business. This is where Windows kills Apple. Apple would be an expensive choice for large enterprises.
I think this is great news as it has been hovering between 2-3% for the last decade. I would be interested in seeing where the increase in users is coming from. I wonder if it is as simple as finally making the distros more user friendly to install or is it people who are tired of the main OS's and making the switch. Also, it will be interesting moving forward as MS is more concerned with cloud services than Windows, but it is still a big part of their income.
Additionally, Linux distros are still a bit fractured as there are several different flavors. I would be shocked, but excited, if it ever approached 10%.
Finally, software companies like Adobe, Cubase, Autocad and MS Office will have to get on board.
This support your theory. Windows enterprise. Mac excels in the creative business environment. Linux in servers and the 'cloud'. Surprisinly Chrome is making inroads into the 'cloud'.
I never cared about desktop percentage. I just care Linux continues to make desktop operating systems. I worry to much popularity will ruin Linux as it tries to become more Windows and Mac like. We don't need clones of either of those desktops.
Anecdotally - I've noticed some ppl in forums or Discords who made the switch from Windows (particularly 10) over to Linux - definitely Mint and to a lesser extent Ubuntu seem to be the ones getting a mention (but others too, including CachyOS).
It seems to me that these people want a bit more control over what is on their system, and they want more respect for their privacy; and companies are pushing them away. These companies arent stupid and will certainly look for ways to bring users back - and they have a lot of leverage; Linux development is not as removed from them as some might think.
