Statcounter, a website that tracks the market share of web browsers, operating systems, and search engines, is reporting that Linux on the desktop has over 4% market share for the very first time (Statcounter records ChromeOS as a separate operating system despite being based on Linux). Statcounter doesn’t provide any explanation about why the market share has increased but we can speculate what’s going on.
Linux’s march to its 4.03% market share has been a steady process ever since the final months of 2020 when Linux held just 1.53% of desktop market share. One of the biggest contributors to the growth of Linux is likely the stringent hardware requirements of Windows 11.
I added 2 to that count this week!
I resurrected my Asus T100TA tablet/laptop that got killed by Windows10 and installed Linux Mint. I can now stream the seas in the comfort of my TV.
Then updated my Lenovo Flex from Win11 to Kubuntu. I used to play Android games via LD Player and it was so slow in Win11. But with Kubuntu+Waydroid, I was able to play my mmorpg game at the highest setting without lag!
I added Debian to my mom’s new laptop. I cannot rely on windows having a stable desktop environment and interface anymore which is crucial for my mom to be able to use it.
That’s a great option for her. Should Windows push a crappy update, she’ll still be able to use her computer.
My Lenovo Flex was okay at Win10. But I made the mistake of updating it to Win11 and it became a potato. I like my taskbar to never combine and at the right side of the screen so I could see all my open windows. Win11 killed that and I’m too much of a dinosaur to adjust to the “dock” taskbar type.