Linux still no threat to Microsoft on the desktop

Bill Hilf, general manager of competitive strategy at Microsoft said that the open sauceware isn't a threat to Windows on the desktop and is losing steam on the server, as customers separate the operating system from the development model.

In an interview with CRN, Hilf said pundits had been predicting Linux would take over the desktop for years but it has never happened.

He said the desktop is a very complicated environment, which was not directly related to the operating system.

"It's not a Red Hat or IBM problem. It's a model issue. The loosely-coupled model of development prevents Linux from being successful on the desktop," he claimed.

Hilf added that Linux adoption actually is slowing as customers cull the benefits of open-source community development from the Linux product.

He said the open-source code is terribly inferior to commercial software code but its magic was the community which supported it.

Linux does well on on Web servers, DNS servers and single, lightweight appliances that do "one thing well however while it might appear "slick" on the desktop, it can't "compete under the covers", Hilf said.

Unfortunately he was a little short on proof and would probably say that lot anyway. µ

L'Inq
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