Why Nokia and Linux failed, so far

My latest Netrunner Magazine article: a careful dissertation of the past and current failure of Nokia and Linux as market brands, and how the situation might change, if ever. For anyone wondering what shares to buy, what new operating system to install, and where to invest their efforts, here's a rather dandy analysis and prediction.

http://netrunner-mag.com/?p=2603


Cheers,
Mrk

 

Hi Mrk,

Great article - you nailed it!

-- Tom

 

I had to hang on to Windows until cross platform video chat was supported (Google Video Chat), I moved my personal financial planning to the cloud and Apple offered a iPhone app to manage my Airport router.

Cloud solutions and Google computers (book & box) might change the dynamics.

 

I wasn't aware that Linux somehow "failed"...

 

Well now you are.
Mrk

 

I skimmed the article very quickly, but I agree with it. I want to add something too. I have 4 Macs, 3 with Bootcamp ( 1) W8, 2) W7 that moved from XP and Vista from OEM builder disks) I have an Untangle box and now playing with Astaro. Plus 2 Linux laptops.

I am a half geek, I don't know code or even Apple scripts. I just hate math and coding. I like networking issues, firewalls , learning about malware vectors ext....

I have zero patients for learning anything Linux. I got turned off years ago trying to install and uninstall programs. Because of fragmentation with different packages. I know Ubuntu and Mint have rudimentary installers/uninstallers now, but they are still very rudimentary. So I am like 90% of people out there, minus my half geek networking/firewall/UTM love. People just want stuff to work without dicking around.


I want to see across all variants every program have installers just like Windows and OS X. That would help out the adoption ten fold if you ask me. The look and feel thing is there NOW. Now you need to have it so easy to find and install programs Grandpa could do it. Until Linux's gets to that point it will never catch on as a mainstream OS.

.

 

Someone is sure to answer more eloquently than moi. (Package Managers).

Lancia is making a comeback. (revival)

 

Package managers = too little too late.

90% want seemless installs like OS X and Windows. Most of you are in a total different playing field then 90% or 98% of other people. You are the 10% or more accurately the 2% who likes/smart enough/want to learn in the first place, who dig Linux. Most don't want to lift a finger. Like i said, Grandpa and Grandma need to be able to use Linux easily before the "average" person will adopt Linux. Most won't or can't lift a finger to it. It is just that simple.

I like my Mint and Fedoera but don't want to lift a finger to really learn it, when OS X is around. OS X is logical and everything is simple and has a simplistic GUI install. I want life easy, not hard.

There it is in a nutshell from a basic user (ME) with some computer knowledge past the basics. I don't even want to dick around with Linux, why would 98% of the rest of the world want to. The ones that do are the 2%.

I in no way mean to be pissy about it and get people pissed at me. I am just telling you straight foreword how "the commoner" looks at it. And that is with some "geekage" added to the "commoner" outlook.

In another 5 to 10 years we may have a simplistic across the board installers for Linux as a whole and that will be the day I may use it more.


My wish would be a very easy to use OpenBSD computer.

.

 

E6? This article talks about a Nokia of several years ago. I would recommend looking at their latest offers, financial results, etc.

 

I should hope not! Package management can be painful, but it's also hugely useful because it centralizes updates for almost everything. Also, the Windows way of doing things is IMO a terrible pain if you're developing software with third-party library dependencies...

Not trying to be elitist or anything. I just find Linux and (most) package management to be much more convenient for my purposes - which are very different from most end users' purposes. I don't think there's anything wrong with being a niche product, if you can do it well.

(OTOH, I think developers' current attempts to make Linux less of a niche product may be its undoing. Misguided dumbing down of interfaces and piling on of eyecandy are not going to help anyone. The phrase "jack of all trades, master of none" comes to mind.)

BTW, re OSX, I actually find OSX unintuitive and difficult to use, probably because I've been using Windows and Linux GUIs for too long. For completely abstract user interfaces, "intuitive" is very much in the eye of the beholder.

 

Install OpenBSD on a MacBook Pro!
I did this just yesterday, on my 2010 17" , and am quite chuffed!

 

+5000!
Completely agree with this! Apple also wants to hide too much from their users, which is annoying.

 

Yes, and I disagree 100%. The affirmation is plain wrong and even though the article brings some clarifications, the title doesn't reflect the content of the article, because it implies some sort of general/generic failure.

 

Weird I can't access that article or web site at all.

 

It was working earlier today, but not right now. Must be down for a few minutes or something.

 

@Blueshoes

Package management is package management, not simply installing & uninstalling programs. Nearly anyone is familiar enough already with the app store concept that installation on the more polished Linux distros never has to be done through any package managers or the evol command line.

Want to install something on the everyday-user level? Ubuntu,/Mint/whatever Software Center, NOT Synaptic or Yum.

I am nearly wary of this too. It's too early to tell, especially with the Win8 storm going on, but hopefully Canonical will play their cards right.