That’s not because suddenly, everyone will realize that the Linux desktop is wonderful. Sorry, folks, if it hasn’t happened by now, it never will.
I agree that there will never be a “Year of the Linux desktop” just simply because that’s not how consumer switching works. There will never be one single year where a huge swath of people suddenly switch (short of some dystopian Windows virus or something). It will always be a trickle of more and more people slowly over time switching. Valve and Proton have certainly helped boost numbers in more recent years but it’s still a trickle. Even if it picks up more momentum, it’s still not going to be a tidal wave of users.
Why does it need to be? Plenty of products, systems, habits, customs, etc. have come from obscurity to mainstream over a VERY long period of time. It doesn’t have to be a race.
IDK, if there will ever be one, I think this year or next year is it. Steam Deck seems to have really hit the mainstream, and Linux is overtaking macOS in some stats. GNOME Wayland also works well and has finally solved my variable refresh rate issues (one monitor @60Hz, one with FreeSync at higher refresh). That’s pretty amazing, and worth recognition!
I don’t think Linux will ever become #1 on desktop, nor do I think that’s the intention behind “the year of the Linux desktop.” Linux as a desktop platform is as or more viable than macOS for a majority of users, and it’s competitive with Windows for many if not most.
The only thing left for me is to see major software vendors natively support Linux. That means:
AAA games support Linux directly - kinda happening with Steam Deck
Adobe products - probably won’t happen, but I can dream
Microsoft office - I guess cloud counts, but I’d like to see desktop client support like exists on macOS
another game store - EGS, GOG, Origin, Xbox Game Pass, should make a native Linux client
And so on. Once major software starts releasing on Linux, I think we’ve won.
GOG not having a native Linux client baffles me, like, there’s this whole bunch of people who clearly care about software freedom and your store focusing on selling DRM-free games will just ignore them? Oh well. At least we have Heroic.
Exactly, and last I checked, it was the most highly upvoted feature on their user voice.
If they made a native Linux client that worked well on Steam Deck, they’d get a ton of customers. In fact, I’d switch from Steam to GOG for most of my purchases.
Probably because GOG/CDPR don’t actually give a fuck about Linux. They made that perfectly clear with the whole “Witcher 3 coming to Linux” fiasco. Maybe I am just bitter, but I feel like even the DRM-free aspect of their business model isn’t through any values they hold. It is just a business decision to corner a niche market.
I agree that there will never be a “Year of the Linux desktop” just simply because that’s not how consumer switching works. There will never be one single year where a huge swath of people suddenly switch (short of some dystopian Windows virus or something). It will always be a trickle of more and more people slowly over time switching. Valve and Proton have certainly helped boost numbers in more recent years but it’s still a trickle. Even if it picks up more momentum, it’s still not going to be a tidal wave of users.
Why does it need to be? Plenty of products, systems, habits, customs, etc. have come from obscurity to mainstream over a VERY long period of time. It doesn’t have to be a race.
IDK, if there will ever be one, I think this year or next year is it. Steam Deck seems to have really hit the mainstream, and Linux is overtaking macOS in some stats. GNOME Wayland also works well and has finally solved my variable refresh rate issues (one monitor @60Hz, one with FreeSync at higher refresh). That’s pretty amazing, and worth recognition!
I don’t think Linux will ever become #1 on desktop, nor do I think that’s the intention behind “the year of the Linux desktop.” Linux as a desktop platform is as or more viable than macOS for a majority of users, and it’s competitive with Windows for many if not most.
The only thing left for me is to see major software vendors natively support Linux. That means:
And so on. Once major software starts releasing on Linux, I think we’ve won.
GOG not having a native Linux client baffles me, like, there’s this whole bunch of people who clearly care about software freedom and your store focusing on selling DRM-free games will just ignore them? Oh well. At least we have Heroic.
Exactly, and last I checked, it was the most highly upvoted feature on their user voice.
If they made a native Linux client that worked well on Steam Deck, they’d get a ton of customers. In fact, I’d switch from Steam to GOG for most of my purchases.
Probably because GOG/CDPR don’t actually give a fuck about Linux. They made that perfectly clear with the whole “Witcher 3 coming to Linux” fiasco. Maybe I am just bitter, but I feel like even the DRM-free aspect of their business model isn’t through any values they hold. It is just a business decision to corner a niche market.