Why don't more people use linux?

[Apolva]

Just wondering why so many people don't switch to/use linux.

It's a lot easier to use now than it used to be, and there's stuff like open office, gimp, etc.

Also, the only large OEM i've seen ship it installed is Dell. Why don't hardware manufacturers charge less and offer it?

Slightly puzzled. Sure not all the programs are there, but like anything, they will once it gets enough attention.

[Moh]

As much as I do love linux, it's going to take a long time to switch from windows. However, theres a lot more businesses and schools that are moving from windows to linux since it's a much cheaper alternative.

If there were more software packages that worked on linux then I would have switched to it. But a lot of the programs I use dont

[N!ck]

Linux is user friendly, its just very selective about it's friends.

I couldn't use Linux as my everyday OS, but in a server environment it's fantastic .

[Stephen!]

I like to play games.

[HotelUser]

I like to play games.

Haha. Yes, if it wasn't for this then I would get mad at people for NOT using Linux


Anyways I did use Linux until I switched to OS X!

[Apolva]

I like to play games.

But if by some miracle, it achieved say 40% of the home use market, there'd be loads

[Stephen!]

The only other thing I have against Linux is the amount of CLI involved. I don't want to type any code to get something to work. I want to be able to click my way through it. For example, I have tried many times to simply install a graphics card driver in Ubuntu. I had to go through a long process of typing things in the terminal to get it to work. I want to just be able to double click it and the rest is done for you. If there is a distro that will do these, please tell me.

[MrPinkPanther]

I generally want an operating system to run stuff.

[Barmi]

But if by some miracle, it achieved say 40% of the home use market, there'd be loads

It will need much less. Macs have ~7-10% marketshare but now have Steam with a growing catalogue (on top of the games they already had).

Quite frankly, people are enamoured by pretty things which are easy to use and/or they've heard about from their friends or advertising (Mac OS X and Windows 7). Even the latest Ubuntu (Lucid Lynx) isn't as pretty as OS X or Windows 7, and it's completely unfamiliar territory with no marketing behind it.

[danzooo]

I reckon people are too scared to wander off from their traditional Windows/Mac OS's that they're so familiar with, either that or they can't be bothered learning how to use Linux.