Nor is there anyone who will answer n00b questions beyond a snide “RTFM!!!”

And yeah, having had a taste of crap like “dependencies,” I want no part of Linux for years to come.

As I said in another post, you Linux cultists need to exit the holodeck and see what the real world is like.

Being free has its advantages, but also has one disadvantage. That being it is difficult to gage sales and conversions to Linux. You could have one company with 50 computers and need only one Linux install disc to install Linux on those 50 computers. As it is, you can’t walk into Best Buy, Circuit City, Staples and Office Depot and buy a Linux operating system disc. There are no brick and mortar distributions, no ad campaigns , no “walk in” and buy a Linux install disc. And you will find no bombastic pitchmen telling the world how Linux will WOW them or change the world.

The trend for obtaining a Linux distribution is going to a Linux site, downloading the OS and burn it into a ISO disc. One download of Linux OS can be installed on one computer or five thousand computers.

Why hasn’t Linux been more widespread in the brick and mortar stores? People who either just bought computers with Windows or have had Windows computers for awhile have elected two main entries into Linux. They are either using the “Live feature” of the Linux disc, which all one needs to do is to just run off the Linux disc without installing anything. This feature is very popular with newbies using Linux for the first time. They get their feet wet and explore all the features.

The next step is to install Linux on their Windows machines as a dual boot. This way instead of just having a Windows machine, they also have Linux operating system too. Best of both worlds. Going to Linux does not mean giving up Windows and thats a important distinction. In the Ubuntu forums, you will find many that run dual boot. Going to Linux as a dual boot does not mean giving up anything, except maybe giving up Viruses, expensive software licenses and in most cases your computer runs faster.

So lets look at this this way. Why should someone go out and “buy” a new computer with Linux on it ? When all they have to do right now is just download the Linux OS for free and burn it to a disc as a ISO and then run it live, do a dual boot or a complete install on their existing computers.

Dual boot is very popular and is a “natural migration” step to going to Linux full time. This is exactly what happened in Switzerland where 9,000 school computers are going all Ubuntu Linux after having been dual booting with Windows/Ubuntu Linux for some time.

Is Windows preferable to Linux? One also needs to look at The Philippines where 23,000 school computers are all going to Linux. This is even after Microsoft offered to sell that government XP for $20 per computer.

Linux in roads are huge as if a very quiet revolution going on to change the world’s landscape from a Windows only world. One thing that helped Linux is the recent government mandates to open source. This is happening all over the world and these mandates are falling right into Linux’ lap. Linux is poised to really take off. Their recent 61% gain probably is going to double or triple after all of Russia plans to go open source in 2010. Is the Penguin about to break some Windows? Yes he has, but …. this is a quiet revolution.