Don't make Linux desktop a Windows clone (vnunet) [LWN.net]

Novell's Matt Asay suggests that Linux vendors should avoid cloning the Microsoft desktop experience. ""All enterprise Linux vendors are trying to push a Linux desktop that looks exactly like Microsoft [Windows desktop]. But it is difficult to compete with someone on his own territory," he said. Instead, he said, a Linux desktop that played to its own strengths would work better and be more interesting."

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Don't make Linux desktop a Mac OS clone

Posted Apr 22, 2004 17:14 UTC (Thu) by rjamestaylor (guest, #339) [Link]

The arguably best User Interface (Mac OS) almost disappeared under the crushing weight of Microsoft's chintzy UI. User friendliness doesn't guarantee user use.

Linux on the Desktop is a replacement product and as such needs to be as painless as possible to encourage adoption. To switch workers from one platform to another completely different one is not something attractive to businesses interested in meeting deadlines and cutting costs. Switching users from MS Office to OpenOffice.org on Windows and then from Windows to Windows-like Linux (running KDE most likely) running OpenOffice.org/Evolution is a natural progression that is relatively painless (Xandros, Lycoris, Linspire take this approach).

But once the transition is made Linux users need not be locked in. There is freedom. Freedom to produce a better environment. Freedom to break the paradigm. Or freedom to stay with the old familiar way of doing tasks.

Make a better UI, but don't slow Linux adoption in pursuit of the ideal UI by discouraging easy transition.

(BTW, I think the next UI MS produces, and they always do to spur upgrades, will give a fantastic opportunity to organizations and individuals alike to make the switch to Linux; imagine the irony: stay with your familiar Desktop, switch to Linux. Then, as Novell works with the development community to push the UI envelope the buzz will be "work smarter -- switch to Linux." Hey, a guy can dream, can't he?)