Ubuntu 200 million user aim?

[DMGrier]

Was reading a article on OMG Ubuntu and they interviewed Ubuntu Desktop Manager Jason Warner and in there he made the statement they have the goal for 200 million users within the next 4 years, what you guys think?

I think it might be possible only for a few reasons.
1. They are targeting business and school systems here in the U.S. and Europe and from what I have read they have had much progress, giving people experience with the OS.

2. They also said starting with the next LTS 12.04 it will come out of the box with minimal glitches and more compatibility on a lot more machines.

3. support from pc manufactures, They already have System76, ZAreasons, commodore 64 and with the next LTS release many rumors about Dell doing something big with Ubuntu. Dell currently does offer Ubuntu but it is limited.

 

[NyxCharon]

Possible? I suppose. I'd like to see them manage there forums though. It's already a mess most of the time. You get 50 of the same threads. Anyways, with the way windows is going, i see a lot of people leaving windows when 8 comes out, if it stays the way it's been predicted, which leaves Ubuntu and Mac to sweep in.
Heck, google uses a special version of Ubuntu as there OS.

The "year of linux" has been approaching so they say. Possible within the next 4 years? I think so.

 

[wolfeking]

definitely possible. I just hope 11 is the last of the Unity thing.

 

[Okedokey]

A lot of people are on Win XP still, moving to Win 7. I doubt very much they will take 200 million users, but hey, its possible

 

[claptonman]

When they say 200 million users, does that mean 200 million machines with Ubuntu on it, or 200 million people that use it? Because say you have 100 computers in a university library. Would they count the 100 computer or the 15,000+ students at the hypothetical university?

 

[Dngrsone]

definitely possible. I just hope 11 is the last of the Unity thing.

I'm afraid Unity is here to stay. It would be nice if they got it stable and made it a little more customizable...

Also, Libre Office needs to get their name out there (and make OOo-generated files and databases work).

 

[wolfeking]

I agree 2 fold on the stability. I think i may have run it twice before it became unstable and reverted to Ubuntu classic. Something that would help some of the dedicated LINUX users (not just newbs) come either back over, or over to ubuntu would be for them to adapt Gnome3 support. Currently it does not support it at all.

 

[Motorcharge]

I don't see it. Unless they're fudging the numbers as suggested above.

It's not going to integrate well with the business world. There's too much specialized software that won't work on Ubuntu. Windows is just too ingrained to lose it's hold.

 

[NyxCharon]

I agree 2 fold on the stability. I think i may have run it twice before it became unstable and reverted to Ubuntu classic. Something that would help some of the dedicated LINUX users (not just newbs) come either back over, or over to ubuntu would be for them to adapt Gnome3 support. Currently it does not support it at all.

Well i mean, it sorta does support Gnome 3. As soon as you install it, you break the unity session. Good riddance.

 

[wolfeking]

I have yet to get it to boot up a Gnome3 session. Its not interference with unity, as my unity hasnt worked since the first day (after I installed the freeware Nvidia driver). Gnome3 installed, but it made no changes at all to the WM.

 

[NyxCharon]

I have yet to get it to boot up a Gnome3 session. Its not interference with unity, as my unity hasnt worked since the first day (after I installed the freeware Nvidia driver). Gnome3 installed, but it made no changes at all to the WM.

There's no option to load it when you log in?

 

[wolfeking]

nope. None at all.

my options at login are

Recovery Console,
Ubuntu
Ubuntu Classic
Ubuntu Classic (no effects)
Ubuntu (safe mode)
User Defined Session

 

[DMGrier]

Unity is here to stay and from what I read in the article that in the next LTS 12.04 it is going to be polished and a majority of bugs worked out. I love gnome 3 but I understand Unity, it is to give Ubuntu a easier unique look from other distros. Ubuntu is not aiming to be another linux OS but more as in competition with windows and apple.

 

[NyxCharon]

Unity is here to stay and from what I read in the article that in the next LTS 12.04 it is going to be polished and a majority of bugs worked out. I love gnome 3 but I understand Unity, it is to give Ubuntu a easier unique look from other distros. Ubuntu is not aiming to be another linux OS but more as in competition with windows and apple.

Don't know about unique. In linux maybe? But the resemblance to mac is a bit extreme.

 

[Dngrsone]

Is that an American Off-Line icon? They're still in business?

 

[DMGrier]

Is that Snow Leopard? My buddy has a Mac with Snow Leopard and it looks nothing like that. I have noticed Lion looks a lot like Unity, but as far as the OS to be released first in non beta form first was Ubuntu Unity.