Three on the Desktop: Linux Myths 101 and Desktop Convergence by December.

[ Thanks to Bill Henning and Saint for the links. ]

AboutLinux has a pair of items related to David Coursey's "9 reasons" the Linux desktop won't succeed. The first is editor Bill Henning's rebuttal to David Coursey (warning: it covers a lot of very brief pages), the second a response to his response from a reader.

Mr. Henning's conclusion: Linux will penetrate 50% of the desktop market by 2010.

The third item is LinuxMedNews' short piece saying that the Linux desktop isn't ready to dominate, but that the pieces are almost in place and things will gel by this December:

"There are some end-user experience issues which keep Linux out of the reach of the masses: 1) Installation of video and sound as well as other installation difficulties remain an issue. 2) Anti-aliased fonts are not widely available through all the distributions. 3) A browser with the familiar Netscape name is not currently competitive. 4) Some application software is either a) not ready, b) not as good as applications such as MS-Office, or c) ready and superior to its Windows equilvalents (see my recent article on scanning) but requires more effort and knowledge on the part of the user to find and use.

Given the current rate of development and release of Linux and other open source applications, December 2001 appears to be the month that a usable convergence of many of the above open source technologies will occur. At that time Linux distributions are likely to have most of the necessary software required in a form that can compete in all areas. Interestingly enough, open source medical computing will also likely have its first viable offerings at the same time."

Related Stories:

• ZDNet: Want Linux on your desktop? Nine reasons to forget about it(Jun 12, 2001)
• LinuxPlanet: The StartX Files: Kick Butt and Take Names, Young Grasshopper(Jun 11, 2001)
• ZDNet: When was the Linux desktop ever alive?(Jun 04, 2001)
• SiliconValley.com/AP: Linux still not ready for desktop prime time(Jun 04, 2001)
• LinuxPlanet: gnotebook: The Desktop War: A Separate Peace(Jun 02, 2001)
• Yahoo!/ZDNet: Why 2001 is not the 'Year of the Penguin'(May 31, 2001)
• LinuxJournal: Linux on the Desktop--an Impossible Dream?(May 31, 2001)
• ZDNet: A GUI situation indeed (Eazel's demise won't slow Linux's progress on the desktop)(May 30, 2001)
• ZDNet UK: HP exec: Linux will be desktop champ(May 28, 2001)
• The Dead Desktop Debacle: A Roundup of Rebuttals to Reichard's Requiem(May 25, 2001)
• LinuxPlanet: .comment: If Not Now, When?(May 24, 2001)
• CNET News.com: Dell: Linux too tech for the desktop(May 23, 2001)
• LinuxPlanet: The StartX Files: The Linux Uncertainty Principle(May 22, 2001)
• LinuxPlanet: RIP: Linux on the Desktop(May 21, 2001)