Linux.com: The “War” For The Desktop

“In what is usually meant by the term “integration” by the end
user, Linux fails miserably. All those disparate configuration
files, all those different interfaces, all the strange and
wonderful tiny little programs that make up a Linux distribution
often seem a messy, kludgey mishmash of different things.
Understanding how it all hangs together is something that takes a
lot of time and poking around.”

“Another kind of integration, however, is one that Linux, in its
development cycle as an operating system, “snuck in the back door”
at companies to get various tasks done. As something that people
play around with in their spare time, it has proven to be more
important.”

“The latest, and largest, niche that that some people and
companies are emphatically targeting in the typical distributed
effort, is none other than the home and corporate desktop.
Here are some of the projects designed to fit Linux in to the home
desktop:

• Users are demanding that OEMs preinstall Linux for business
  reasons. This is the single greatest barrier to entry. …
• Ease of Installation. Many Linux distributors are working on
  this problem…
• Availability of Applications. Only recently has Linux gained
  the desktop market share that it needs to attract the attention of
  large software companies to the point where almost every large
  software company pays at least lip service to Linux…
• Ease of Use. There is a huge amount of effort being done in
  many different corners to create integrated, consistent graphical
  environments for Linux…”

Complete
Story