Linux Desktop Usage Is Higher Than Ever
Linux desktop usage is higher right now than it's ever been in the past. That doesn't mean that it's on the verge of being mainstream, but it's certainly far from over. It doesn't ever have to become mainstream to continue to be successful.
Linux is probably closer to being one operating system that controls all your devices than any other system, though that's not saying that much.
Do you think corporate greed is over? Do you think we could make any headway against corporate lock-in without open source and systems like Linux and the BSD systems?
I for one am glad that we still have the ability to install whatever system we want on x86 machines. I am glad that things like the BeagleBoard, the PandaBoard, and Raspberry Pi exist. The freedom of open source isn't about never using mainstream products. It's about not being forced to use them for everything. It's about being able to go in the direction that your interest and imagination takes you. The freedom of open source isn't just for the people who program or tinker with devices like this. It's also for the mainstream that is influenced by them later.
Windows wouldn't be as good as it is today without open source operating systems, and Mac OS X probably wouldn't even exist.
