Sunday Times (South Africa): Linux Moves into the Mainstream

“A couple of years ago, Linux was little more than a fledgling
operating system. Its advocates predicted world domination and its
critics unflinchingly honed in on its failings. Today it is a
radically different picture. Linux has matured in the last few
years, not only in kernel code but also in its breadth of
applications. Instead of the catch-up game it played in past years,
Linux is now taking up a role as a major innovative force and a
leader in a new generation of connected computing.

“Linux also has the support of a number of industry
heavyweights. Instead of only being the keen interest of a ragtag
band of hackers, Linux now lists among its fans the likes of IBM,
Oracle and Dell, with even Sun Microsystems dabbling in the Linux
pool. The influence of the interest from these industry giants is
becoming evident with a growing number of equally influential
companies following their lead.

“Linux is not a panacea; it does not have all the answers but
its devotees maintain that it certainly has most of them. As much
as Linux is like Unix, it is not nearly as mature, and while its
desktop environment is evolving rapidly, it is not yet as friendly
as Windows. There is always a ‘yet’ when you talk to Linux
enthusiasts, because no matter how much criticism is heaped onto
the system, few of them believe the open source operating system
will not achieve its goals…”

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