Re: How many Linux users?

J.O. Aho wrote:
who cares? wrote:
I would like to know how many computers are running under some form of LInux in North America.

I think this question really is as easy to answer as, "How many people do bake
in North America", all numbers you find are just estimations.


As a member of the Linux Counter since 1997, as a country monitor, an advocate, always attempting to get at accurate numbers, I have to estimate that the number is between 12 million, and 42 million computers.

What you don't ask is how many people use some form of GNU/Linux in North America, and that could be between 18 million and 66 million.

An instance of basis for my estimate is Largo Florida, where all police, emerengcy fire and medical persons, city works, and administration folks, use Thin Clients served and booted from the Linux servers.

The DOT and FAA only have a remaining 60,000 systems that run the legacy Microsoft OS, win98, 2000, or XP, and aren't likely to gain more. The rest of their vast network runs GNU/Linux but, the numbers are hard to pin down, though certainly upwards of a half a million.

So, agreed on your statement of "estimates". But, there are enough for Dell to ponder boosting the flatlined sales charts of 8 years, by offering pre-installed GNU/Linux!

And, all Dell has to do is pick one, hopefully using fully Open drivers, and the community would purchase... Otherwise, we do continue to purchase some Microtel, some System76, offerings, that run GNU/Linux, or we'll continue to make second hand systems function.

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