Linux desktop need to stand out to gain in popularity argues Havoc Pennington. A good majority of the time when users switch platforms be it from Windows to OS X, or Windows to Linux it"s because that platform offers something different/unique. If Linux reaches the point to where it doesn"t stand out that much why would users bother switching?
Improvements to the desktop will require a greater Internet focus that enhances communication and collaboration; the ability for users to access their data anywhere; and the option of software as a service, Havoc Pennington, the technical lead for desktop engineering at Red Hat Inc., said here Wednesday. In a session at the O"Reilly Open Source Convention here titled "Creating a Desktop Operating System," Pennington said users also need to be saved from acting as system administrators with tasks such as anti-virus updating.
Citing desktop operating system platforms from Windows to the Mac OS to the Fedora Core, Pennington said platforms continually evolve and that the Linux desktop is no exception. Each platform creates a silo, or vertical stack of software, that works well together. Asking why so many platforms have been built, Pennington answered his own question by saying this saved work for developers who shared code among applications, and also created a better user experience.