"First, it's helpful to remember that we are dealing with at least three separate markets when it comes to Linux vs the proprietary competition. Those would be the server, embedded and desktop markets. Taking them in reverse order, please allow me to pontificate on the relative strengths and weaknesses of Linux in these market segments.
"Desktop
"Desktop dominance has hovered like a shimmering mirage in front of Linux enthusiasts, and some Linux companies for years. The massive failure of Vista gave people lots of hope that the day of desktop dominance had finally arrived. But the fact is that Linux gained a minuscule amount of share in this market over the years since Vista's release. Apple benefited more, but Macintosh is still below 10% share. Why is that?"
