Far From Home

For the last year and a half, one would have been hard put in the IT industry

to not hear about Linux. Whether it's with doubt, fascination or fanatical

belief, Linux has gained mindshare enough to become more of a faith than a

platform in a short while. The server front, some would arguably claim, was the

first place that Linux found a foothold that took it beyond the realm of the

pure techie. Even as that entry has Microsoft worried enough to consider it one

of the top challenges of the years ahead, the past few months has seen the grand

entry of Linux on the desktop front in most Asian countries.

"I have been using a Linux desktop since 1985. Then there were a few

problems, but since 1991, with the GUI in place, I have encountered nothing the

matter with using it for my desktop. In fact, in all the time that I have used

it, Linux has never crashed. It's not only appropriate for the desktop, it is

the only appropriate one," says Sudhir Gandotra, CEO of Indserve Infotech,

a Linux-based software development and support organization.

Others agree that Linux has grown in its user friendliness as it has in its

popularity in the desktop space. It is due to Linux's growing appropriateness

for the desktop environment that most major OEMs, from IBM to Rashi, have rushed

to offer it.

What's Holding Linux Back?



Like anything in a relatively nascent stage, Linux has its own set of issues

which, though will certainly be solved in the long run, might hold back the pace

with which its adoption increases.

"One of the things that could be affecting the acceptance of the Linux

desktop for the consumer is the lack of applications. Though most of the basic

applications are taken care of in Linux, it is still true that many an

application that is available on Windows is not yet possible on Linux,"

says Taranath, CEO of GT Enterprises, one of the oldest organizations in India

who has been dealing with Linux OS implementation and support.

While applications being so, Linux could also be held up with support issues

while many offer a counterpart to that.

"Linux is an open source creation. By its very nature support is freely

available. All that a consumer has to do is go on the net, put in the problem

and he will get answers instantaneously, probably he will get solutions much

faster than any other OS. The question is not one of support, but one of

awareness among the consumer," says Manikandan, DGM - Marketing for LG

India.

Which brings us to what could probably be the biggest show stopper for Linux—the

lack of familiarity with the OS among users.

"More than 85% of the people who buy Linux desktops from the dealers go

home and change the OS to a pirated version of a proprietary one. Most of that

is driven by the fact that they are not familiar with Linux and feel more

comfortable with the ones they have been using for so long. Linux OS just gives

them a chance to afford a branded desktop," says Rohit Agarwal, business

manager - RP Tech System Division of Rashi Peripherals.

Agrees Gandotra that the consumer for the large part is still unaware of how

advanced Linux has become. But then who is to take the marketing burden that the

propagation of Linux will involve?

"The OEMs have to take more of the burden without doubt. For the reason

that they have the girth and the resources to actually market Linux. Actual

Linux distributors and forums lack the funds to push it," says Gandotra.

Javed Tapia, MD, RedHat-India, echoes Gandotra, while saying that they cannot

afford to spend on advertising. "We have been propagating Linux in our own

way as we cannot spend millions. Linux, more than anything else, is a movement

and it will grow in momentum the way it has grown so far—by word of

mouth."

While most in the industry agree that all of the above are probably the most

important issues that could potentially affect the rise of Linux among the

consumer desktop, there are a few who state that Linux has no issues at all. One

of these voices is that of Atul Chitnis, director of Exocore Consulting and part

of the Bangalore Linux Users Group (BLUG) who believes that all of the problems

widely stated are purely perception related.

He disagrees strongly with the statistic that 85% of people who buy Linux

desktops go home only to change their OS. "While it is true that some

people will inevitably buy a cheap machine with pre-installed Linux on it, only

to wipe it out and install pirated Windows, this is a real minority. I have a

very good reason for my claim - the knowledge that most people have never

installed an OS before.

They stick with what comes pre-installed on their machine, which is why we

have so many Windows installations in first place. A more reasonable statement

would be "some people, who are helplessly criminally bent, and who have the

technical expertise to do so, will erase their Linux installation that came with

their PC, and install pirated Windows", is his argument.

His argument does sound firm. But the fact remains that there is a percentage

of consumers who buy Linux only because of the cost advantages they offer. It

follows that unless there is an education campaign along with strong and obvious

support structures around Linux, that percentage is not going to change for some

time.

In other words, Linux might have to take on at least the feel of proprietary

software, in the form of distributors like Red Hat, to become a success among

the consumer. Whether it takes on that garb and how that will affect its

evolution would be interesting to track in the near future.

Penguin Jig



Meanwhile, there are a plethora of Linux desktops available in the market

and consumers can pick from bundled freeware to the latest Red Hat OS which

comes with technical support.

But the point remains that for most of the OEMs who offer the desktop, the

consumer is not the primary target. In fact, the term 'Linux desktop' is

often taken at face value to indicate an implementation of such in an

enterprise.

"Most of our business comes in from enterprises. No doubt about that. It

will take sometime for the consumer side to take off," says Taranath.

The consumer therefore is at the bottom of a distribution ladder that is

following the top down approach to Linux penetration.

Even huge Linux distribution companies like Red Hat, which recently announced

a new version of the Linux OS meant for corporate use, are slightly skewed

towards the enterprise. That's where the major market and money comes from,

that's where the concentration prevails — simple business logic.

That's one of the biggest reasons that though there is generally a hue and

cry about introducing Linux desktops in the market, most vendors fall silent

when asked for numbers sold since launch. Numbers remain pathetically low

because they are not concentrating enough on the consumer market.

For most vendors in the market that attitude is just fine. They are most

happy to let things move at its own pace and for Linux desktops to trickle down

to the masses from enterprises. The truth is, vendors sell Linux to consumers

not because they believe Linux to be the next big thing on the desktop, but

because of the cost advantage it offers which makes their own desktops more

attractive and thereby leads to more sales.

"The only reason (today) for vendors to sell Linux desktops is very

simple - they sell, and at greater profit for the vendors," says Atul

Chitnis.

True. While some might argue that this continued indifference of the vendors

towards the consumer segment might prove to be eventually harmful to the Linux

desktop, one cannot but feel that might be an exaggeration.

Vendors or no vendors, top down or bottom up, the fact remains that Linux

desktops are fast gaining attention and growing as a veritable force, and it

will potentially sweep the consumer segment. The question is whether its sooner

or later.

As Gandotra puts it, "Comparing proprietary software to Linux is like

comparing a donkey to a rocket. Both of them carry people but the similarity

ends there. The advantages that Linux offers far outweigh the standard right

now. And, slowly or rapidly, Linux will grow to its rightful place."

Sathya Mithra Ashok in Bangalore

A Few Numbers

n According to estimates, there

are close to 3 million PCs sold in India annually.

n Of this close to 30% forms the

home or consumer segment. Around 5% of this 30% would be made up of Linux

desktops.

n Growth rates for the Linux

consumer segment is pegged at anything from 35%-50% depending on which vendor

you speak with.

n As per market estimates,

individual vendors sell anything from 100 to 400 Linux desktops in a month.

n Vendors agree that it is very

difficult to track the number of desktops that get loaded with pirated

proprietary software after sale but peg it at close to 85%.