Comment 229 for bug 1

The main reason why Microsoft dominates the market is market pressure itself, which means pressuring distributors and dealers to sell its crappy merchandise through "cross-marketing" (selling expensive Windows licenses, proprietary products, etc) and paying , schools, universities, as well as IT professionals to use and work under their software.

Everybody that uses Linux will confirm that this free OS has overcome in the recent few years most of the incompatibility issues it was known for for a long time. The reality is that you'll have a hard time finding a desktop computer, or even laptop, that can't digest a Linux installation without much problems. I'm an ex-Mac user, and know for sure how false ideas on non-Windose software and products usually keep getting tagged with being "incompatible" and "user unfriendly", and this, years after these issues have been solved.

One poster here previously said that Linux is still not an "idiot-proof" OS, and it's damn right!

I do agree it's about time to pressure computer stores into accepting Ubuntu into their systems, but it's very idealistic, and unless radical and original means of action are taken by the Linux users, that won't change for a looong time. I rather think organisations such as Canonical are the best positioned for convincing computer store chains and local retailers as well to opt for Ubuntu or some other user-friendly distro (especially Fedora Core, Mandriva or SUSE). Sellers usually receive "orders from the top", and then they respond to customer demand in relation to that; never to customer's demands alone...

BUT, there is a market where Linux CAN potentially do a takeover within a reasonable timeframe, and it has proven to be very viable in many contexts: the public sector. I mean mostly education (higher and lower) and government, or community organisations. There's already many groups everywhere in the world doing pressure and education for this to happen, and it's progressing quite well as far as I know...