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Update: This data has not yet actually been verified by Netmarketshare. When I first took the shot, it wasn't noted, but it's been pointed out in our comments they do now have a link at the top to say so. I fully expect this to be revised down to the current level.

Take this with a rather large bag of suspicion! Netmarketshare is reporting that Linux had 6.91% market share, which is higher than Mac for the first time.

Not only that, but it seems even FreeBSD actually registered on it this time too.

Honestly, it seems far too good to be true. Hold the partying and champagne popping for now. Other sites like StatCounter separate Chrome OS (which uses the Linux kernel), but I believe Netmarketshare does not. StatCounter also shows Linux overall at far less than what Netmarketshare shows.

With that said, both websites have reported Linux growth over the past year. It may not be as large as we want it to be, but it seems multiple sites statistics do report Linux market share is growing and that's the important thing here.

What do you think? A nonsense blip, or Linux really making gains?

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Tags: Misc
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finaldest Oct 1, 2017
I must admit that I was a little surprised by the numbers and although these numbers may be revised down I would not discount the possibility that they are correct due to a many factors. Here are some of my thoughts.

1. Back to school sales after the summer holidays. Chrome books perhaps?
2. Steam Linux library is growing by the day.
3. Microsoft embracing open source and Skype for linux. (True intentions questionable.)
4. Atari announcing a new Linux based Console/PC for Q1 2018.
5. Ubuntu 17.10 due to release, BETA is out.
6. Many security/malware attacks in the windows ecosystem.
7. Wine and dx11.

The above is only speculation on my part but if the trend continues then its good for the linux community.


Last edited by finaldest on 1 October 2017 at 12:09 pm UTC
Tuxee Oct 1, 2017
Quoting: KohriasAccording to StatCounter GNU/Linux is at 4% in Germany with ChromeOS being non-existant. One of the rare occassions where it feels like something is going in the right direction where I live ;)

Additionally it lists 1.6 percent "unknown". If these are OSes belonging to the Linux pool we are actually lurching towards six percent.
gnanini Oct 1, 2017
I think that even steam accounts market share erratically. Last month I was only asked to answer steam hardware and software research when I was on steam by wine!
Ardje Oct 1, 2017
Quoting: lvlark
Quoting: pbAre Chromebooks even available in Europe? Maybe in some of the western countries, but certainly not where I live.

MediaMarkt NL has 15 chromebooks on their website, out of 313 laptops in total. But yeah, about as 'western' as you can get.
I've bought my last chromeos devices from chromeit.
My very first from amazon.uk, since I have a preference for arm, and arm is pretty fast without any heat production, unlike intel.
I now have 4 samsung chromebooks (exynos 5250 2x, 1x exynos 5430, and 1x rockchip) and one asus intel i3 chromebox. Anything with intel atom is just a waste of money and power.
I also have a GPD Win, on the verge of having windows 10 completely wiped (needed it to downgrade, played with it for a week, hit a wall, almost killed someone... A nice reminder of why I never ever want to do something with windows again).

Anyway: The nicest thing is that Mac is keeping stable, while windows lost big time.
What happened these last 2 months? Steam machine? What?

Edit: The august figures have already been checked, so those are already correct. They check the figures of last month in the beginning of the month.


Last edited by Ardje on 1 October 2017 at 12:51 pm UTC
Nanobang Oct 1, 2017
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  • Supporter
We shall overco-o-ome
We shall overco-o-ome
We shall overco-o-ome somedaaaayyy!


If Trump can be president, Linux can beat Mac.
wvstolzing Oct 1, 2017
Quoting: NanobangIf Trump can be president, Linux can beat Mac.

I'm aware that the analogy operates on the notion of improbability -- nevertheless it's off by a fair bit.

How about this: If Trump can be president, then Microsoft can successfully carry out an EEE operation on Linux and destroy it from within.
Urgick Oct 1, 2017
Quoting: NanobangWe shall overco-o-ome
We shall overco-o-ome
We shall overco-o-ome somedaaaayyy!


If Trump can be president, Linux can beat Mac.
totally
Beren Oct 1, 2017
Windows users are now browsing porn from their Linux subsystem.
Eike Oct 1, 2017
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Quoting: BerenWindows users are now browsing porn from their Linux subsystem.

They're five years late!
(But then, as Windows users, of course they are.)
d4rkf4b Oct 1, 2017
Hello Everybody,
Readers from a long time, this is my first post. English is not my native language, sorry for the grammar.

Many AMD users have realized that their machine worked better under linux than under windows for opengl applications with the recent progress of the AMDGPU driver. Cemu is a good example.
This does not explain everything but may be a part of this "massive"
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