The Linux Desktop Came on Little Cat Feet

“Somehow, some way, the year 2010 may have finally been the year
of the Linux desktop — but no one noticed. Maybe no one needed to.
In 2010, smartphones got hot, and Android OS smartphones
collectively overtook the iPhone in units sold. At the same time,
Android tablets gained traction as popular alternatives to the
iPad. A subtle shift in the notion of what defines “desktop,” and
suddenly Linux emerges in anonymous glory — leaving Microsoft
(Nasdaq: MSFT) playing the silly (but familiar and perhaps a bit
dangerous) role of catch-up. Looking back, could 2010 really be the
year when Linux, in the form of Android, became the desktop?

“What is a desktop anyway?

“A distinction may be necessary. While I may make a case that
2010 was the year of the Linux desktop, I realize the form factor
is different, and it’s a little new. But computers evolve, and the
point — that the Linux-based Android is a major player in the
user-interface world — is not lost or any less relevant. More
important is that in smartphones, Linux trumps Windows. (More data
to follow when next of kin have been notified.)”

Complete
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