[plug] Linux Market Share

[Leon Brooks]

>From http://www.eweek.com/article/0,3658,s=1884&a=25932,00.asp -

> IBM executives [...] citing other IDC figures which showed that by the
> end of 2002 some nine percent of corporate IT budgets would be spent on
> Linux-based and enabled systems.

OK, let's think about this. Linux is a great cost-saver. Let's pull a figure 
out of the air and say that it has only twice the bang-for-the-buck that 
Windows does. So effectively 18/109 (16.5%) scaled for bang-for-the-buck, of 
*all* IT spending. Like, this includes machines, people, all kinds of stuff. 
Oof!

The IBM execs - http://www.eweek.com/article/0,3658,s=701&a=21936,00.asp -

> "This figure didn't exist last year, and in 2002 it will stand at 9
> percent. That tells me a lot about what will happen in 2002 as
> customers speak with their money," he said. IDC also estimates that
> Linux will have a 32 percent share of the server market by the end of
> 2002, which is greater than the 27 percent estimate for 2002 it made
> last year, he said.

Five percent greater in absolute terms, or 18% relatively greater. Who lost 
that 5%? 32% of all servers, leaving 68% for everyone else to squabble over. 
And that doesn't count the non-spending on free-beer Linux software. And 
"this figure didn't exist last year". Ooh! The Year of the Penguin?

You're probably familiar with this leaked memo, but it's worth a re-read just 
for the giggles:

    http://www.eweek.com/article/0,3658,s%253D707%2526a%253D20732,00.asp

Cheers; Leon