@Barry For the record, FOSS does not imply software that is "free" as in
beer. The protagonists of free software - the folks at GNU - openly state
on www.gnu.org that it is perfectly acceptable to sell software "free" as
in "freedom" for money.
 Hi :)
Have to disagree with the top man.  Ubuntu played a huge part.


Ubuntu got out there into the mainstream press over and over again.  Not as
a quirky, insane, anarchistic, geek toy but as a serious business tool with
repeated successes in many companies around the globe.  Redhat had already
been doing some of  that for years but Ubuntu took it and ran with it
straight onto the main stage.  No other distro managed that so
consistently.


Can Ubuntu be the 1st to achieve what so many others are aiming for and be
the 1st OS to successfully run on smart-phones, handhelds, tablets and
where it already succeeds?  Can Android reach the desktop or can Windows
turn their dismally failing mobiles and slate/tablets into success before
Ubuntu get there?  The race is on.


Regards from
Tom :)




>________________________________
> From: Mark Shuttleworth <email address hidden>
>Sent: Thursday, 30 May 2013, 11:38
>
>
><snip />
>
>Even though we have only played a small part in that shift
>
><snip />
>

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Title:
  Microsoft has a majority market share

Status in Club Distro:
  Confirmed
Status in Computer Science Ubuntu:
  Confirmed
Status in LibreOffice Productivity Suite:
  New
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  Invalid
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  Invalid
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  Invalid
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  Invalid
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  Invalid
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  In Progress
Status in The Linux Kernel:
  New
Status in The Linux Mint Distribution:
  In Progress
Status in The Linux OS Project:
  In Progress
Status in Neobot:
  New
Status in Novabot:
  New
Status in The OpenOffice.org Suite:
  In Progress
Status in Tabuntu:
  Invalid
Status in A simple player to online TV streaming:
  Invalid
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  Invalid
Status in Ubuntu Malaysia LoCo Team Meta Project:
  In Progress
Status in Ubuntu:
  Fix Released
Status in Arch Linux:
  Confirmed
Status in Baltix GNU/Linux:
  Invalid
Status in “linux” package in Debian:
  In Progress
Status in Fluxbuntu: The Lightweight, Productive, Agile OS:
  Confirmed
Status in openSUSE:
  In Progress
Status in Tilix Linux:
  New

Bug description:
  See Mark's closure comment here:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/1/comments/1834
  ------

  Microsoft has a majority market share in the new desktop PC
  marketplace. This is a bug which Ubuntu and other projects are meant
  to fix. As the philosophy of the Ubuntu Project states, "Our work is
  driven by a belief that software should be free and accessible to
  all."

  "Ubuntu software is free. Always was, always will be. Free software gives
everyone the freedom to use it however they want and share with whoever
they like. This freedom has huge benefits. At one end of the spectrum it
enables the Ubuntu community to grow and share its collective experience
and expertise to continually improve all things Ubuntu. At the other, we
are able to give access to essential software for those who couldn’t
otherwise afford it – an advantage that’s keenly felt by individuals and
organisations all over the world."
       * http://www.ubuntu.com/project/about-ubuntu/our-philosophy

  Non-free software leaves users at the mercy of the software owner and
  concentrates control over the technology which powers our society into
  the hands of a few. Additionally, proprietary software stifles
  innovation, maintains artificial scarcities, and enables malicious
  anti-features such as DRM, surveillance, and other monopolistic
  practices.

  This bug is widely evident in the PC industry.

  Steps to repeat:

      1. Visit a local PC store.
      2. Attempt to buy a machine without any proprietary software.

  What happens:

  Almost always, a majority of PCs for sale have Microsoft Windows pre-
  installed. In the rare cases that they come with a GNU/Linux operating
  system or no operating system at all, the drivers and BIOS may be
  proprietary.

  What should happen:

  A majority of the PCs for sale should include only free software.

       * http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html
       * http://www.debian.org/social_contract#guidelines
       * http://www.opensource.org/docs/osd

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