Novell: Linux desktop set to take off

by admin April 10, 2006 at 4:37 pm

SAN FRANCISCO–Linux on desktop computers will begin taking off in mainstream markets in the next 12 to 18 months, Novell President Ron Hovsepian has predicted.

Linux has been widely used on networked computers called servers, but it has comparatively little success on personal computers, beyond technically savvy users. Many companies have argued the open-source operating system is on the verge of breaking out in PCs and have been proven wrong. But Hovsepian sees some changes that he believes make the market ripe.

He’s not the first to make such bold predictions, but so far Linux hasn’t caught on widely beyond a small, technically savvy minority. Several companies–among them Corel, Linspire (formerly Lindows), Eazel and Suse itself–haven’t dented Microsoft Windows’ dominance.

Read more: TechRepublic