According to the StatCounter, Linux on the desktop has continued to rise and remains above 4%, with this being the healthiest it's ever looked on the desktop.
First hitting over 4% in February, their March data is now in showing not just staying above 4% but rising a little once again showing the trend is clear that Linux use is rising. Slow and steady wins the race as they say.
Here's how things have looked over the last year+
- January 23 - 2.91%
- February 23 - 2.94%
- March 23 - 2.85%
- April 23 - 2.83%
- May 23 - 2.7%
- June 23 - 3.07%
- July 23 - 3.12%
- August 23 - 3.18%
- September 23 - 3.02%
- October 23 - 2.92%
- November 23 - 3.22%
- December 23 - 3.82%
- January 24 - 3.77%
- February 24 - 4.03%
- March 24 - 4.05%
Technically, ChromeOS is also Linux, and while people like to debate that if you do include Linux and ChromeOS together it would actually be 6.32%. A number that is getting steadily harder for developers of all kinds to ignore. It terms of overall percentage, it's still relatively small but when you think about how many people that actually is, it's a lot.
Another look since 2009:
For those thinking it may be due to Steam Deck with SteamOS, it's unlikely, at least not directly. StatCounter gather their info from web traffic across over 1.5 million sites globally. I doubt all that many browse the web regularly on Deck. However, indirectly? Possible, I've seen lots and lots of posts about people enjoying Linux thanks to the Desktop Mode on the Steam Deck. There's going to be various other bigger factors at play here though, like Linux nowadays actually being properly good on the desktop.
See the stats on StatCounter.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
soulsource Apr 10, 2024
For people without big budgets, you can actually be limited in what you can use your computer for just because you don't want to buy (or bloody rent!) the software and you don't know there's another way.Don't forget about piracy. Most Windows users I know don't care about legality and just pirate whatever they can for their home PCs. Not sure how much this experience can be generalized though.
You have a point.For people without big budgets, you can actually be limited in what you can use your computer for just because you don't want to buy (or bloody rent!) the software and you don't know there's another way.Don't forget about piracy. Most Windows users I know don't care about legality and just pirate whatever they can for their home PCs. Not sure how much this experience can be generalized though.
Well anyway, 4% is nice.
So fly higher than the Sun. Raise Excalibur, the Holy Sword to defeat that windows 11 monster!!! And MacOS too! Great to see this kind of development! The future is bright!
Last edited by Solarwing on 10 April 2024 at 6:45 pm UTC
Raise Excalibur, the Holy SwordStrange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government!
I might have to find a less mainstream OS, this is becoming uncomfortable.
There's plenty of obscure ones to try out, HaikuOS has even some recent activity. Didn't check what software actually runs on it.
BSD:s might be boring as there's plenty of software already patched to run on it. Might be too similar to Linux though, so it's better to stick with the obscure ones.
Maybe we'll see 5% before Microsoft drops Windows 10, and then see it surge up after they drop it.
Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government!I mean, if I went around saying I was an emperor just because some moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me, they’d put me away!
Oh! New word learned!See also, "twunt", which Spider also picked up from me and seemed most amused by.
See also, "twunt", which Spider also picked up from me and seemed most amused by.Oh dear, a bit more on the vulgar side that one, but I'll stick it in the old vocab for later use!
Oh dear, a bit more on the vulgar side that one, but I'll stick it in the old vocab for later use!It's not a real word - it's only as vulgar as you imagine it to be, hehehehe!
with win10 support ending for home users late next year combined with win11 high system requirements we could see a continued or slight jump. anyone want to predict Jan 2026? will 6% or higher be possible? It will be interesting and fun to watch.
I suspect not. Most users are lazy and instead will just buy new hardware. Especially since Windows has established the "well known fact" that PCs slow down over time and you have to either re-install the OS or just get a new computer. Most ppl will do the later I suspect.
Even at the company where I work they downgraded to Windows 11 in the past few months and oh boi ... the amount of PCs which where ripped out of the office was stellar maybe like 30 PCs just from our department. Considering companies try to keep costs low it seemed not be the an issue to trash alls those still wonderfully working systems.
I think you are right: most people won't switch, but even if a small fraction of Windows users switch, it will have a noticable effect on growth I think.
Last edited by Adutchman on 2 May 2024 at 6:09 pm UTC
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