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Stats- You really tried to find some figures?
Okay to begin with...

The estimated number of Linux Desktop Users is not .30 percent. These stats are from a site that tracks various websites (I'll get to why this is a bad indicator in a moment)

First some Linux Desktop Stats;

"This brings the
Linux desktop market share to 7%, up from 4% in 2004."

http://www.guptaworldwide.com/Company/files/CTO-Corner.pdf

I belive the IDC numbers were slightly over 5% also. When you google Linux Marketshare one of the first things you get is this ZDNet article from 2003 http://insight.zdnet.co.uk/software/linuxunix/0,39020472,39118695,00.htm in 2003 the Desktop Linux market share was estimated at 2.8%

On the Server side the Linux marketshare is around 30%.

So why does this site only show .30%

1. It is only tracking a subset of web pages. The number of users varies greatly from page to page. For Example W3schools tracked statistics for several years http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp and it tracks 2005 Linux visitors around 3.3% . This methodolgy assumes many things such the first being that Linux users surf the internet at all and they are going to those websites.

2. The largest increases in the Linux Desktop are in non-english speaking countries, in paticular asian speaking countries. The Chinese Govt has 30% of its desktops running Linux http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1900214,00.asp and the Japanese desktop Linux use is around 13%. Brazil and Peru likewise have decided to use Linux on the govt desktops. The low Linux statistic may not indicate that Linux but rather that the websites included in those statistics were in English.

3. Many, if not most, Linux users have the browser return that they are using IE on Windows. They do this becuase many websites still lock out Linux users.

As far as the Cert Figures go... well many people have already pointed out several things about those. The first being that the Unix/Linux stats include all UNix and Linux distros including Mac OSX, SCO UnixWare, AIX, Solaris, All the BSDs, ETC ETC. They also further point out that many of the Linux/Unix Flaws were counted more than once- The sendmail flaw for example is counted more than 4 times. There are many things wrong with this analysis of the list from cert.
Posted by: Edward Meyers   Posted on: 01/02/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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Vulnerability of PDAs  jmarkwell | 12/30/05
Figures can't lie, but liars can figure  lordshipmayhem | 12/30/05
Besides...  Immanuel Tranz-Mischen | 01/06/06
Figures can't lie, but liars can figure  lordshipmayhem | 12/30/05
A bit more detail, please  Yagotta B. Kidding | 12/31/05
another detail  alleycat_z | 12/31/05
I never gave that a thought  hughe | 01/04/06
Some Details  Edward Meyers | 01/04/06
I think you're absolutely right  bob2cam | 12/31/05
I'm calling BS on this  dtfinch | 12/31/05
Protect the elite!  gadgetguy05 | 12/31/05
Troll?  spinit_z | 12/31/05
How many distros were included in the study?  kedens | 12/31/05
What if Mac OS and Linux were at the top of the list?  tracy anne | 12/31/05
No platform is immune  searchdude | 12/31/05
Some good points  tracy anne | 12/31/05
Developers on a platform  Twey | 01/04/06
re: Developers on a platform  searchdude | 01/04/06
Open Source Software  tracy anne | 01/04/06
What?  htotten | 01/04/06
Reality check  lperuski | 12/31/05
Stats- You really tried to find some figures?  Edward Meyers | 01/02/06
I said  Suzi_z | 01/03/06
But to be off by over 1000%?  Edward Meyers | 01/03/06
Then maybe that should have been the title.......  LazLong | 01/04/06
windows is more secure than (aix+bsd+hpux+solaris+sco+osx)  ~doolittle~ | 01/03/06
The question isn't even relevant  ericha8 | 01/03/06
Talk about not relevant!  NonZealot | 01/04/06
My intent was to discuss a reasonable metric  ericha8 | 01/04/06
What operating system has the most vulnerabilies? Linux of course!  Loverock Davidson | 01/04/06
You, sir, are an idiot  culebra | 01/04/06
No you are  Loverock Davidson | 01/04/06
that's your best shot ?  culebra | 01/04/06
Shots? I'm stating facts  Loverock Davidson | 01/04/06
choose your weapon  culebra | 01/04/06
Sigh, fine  java.user | 01/04/06
reply to java.user, who has his do not disturb light on  culebra | 01/04/06
reply to culebra: zdnet posting have thread depth limits  NonZealot | 01/04/06
reply to NonZealot  culebra | 01/04/06
More corrections for culebra  java.user | 01/05/06
Is that even possible? (n/t)  Twey | 01/04/06
Hook... line... and sinker!!  NonZealot | 01/04/06
unemployed Capital One pillager ?  culebra | 01/04/06
Hm...  Twey | 01/04/06
let the games begin  culebra | 01/04/06
He is far more effective  NonZealot | 01/04/06
when do you play the Roxy ?  culebra | 01/04/06
Only because...  Twey | 01/04/06
Um..  Loverock Davidson | 01/04/06
wow, what a fun game !  culebra | 01/04/06
Heh, of course happy (n/t)  Twey | 01/04/06
But I don't want to  Loverock Davidson | 01/04/06
true confessions: what's in a name  culebra | 01/04/06
Eh, 5/10  java.user | 01/04/06
arrggggghhh !  culebra | 01/04/06
true confessions: what's in a name  culebra | 01/04/06
Without putting in some facts and separating the vain emotion,  HypnoToad | 01/04/06
facts are there  Loverock Davidson | 01/04/06
Loverock Davidson for President  jjworleyeoe | 01/04/06
yawwwwn......  culebra | 01/04/06
I don't do politics  Loverock Davidson | 01/04/06
yeah, rigghhht  culebra | 01/04/06
Extrapolate:  johnjd | 01/04/06
It's all about the window of exposure  Sxooter_z | 01/04/06
Re: t's all about the window of exposure  DrBrianM | 01/04/06
Vunerabilities comparison  jwbosu | 01/04/06
You are jousting at windmills with twisties, Suzi  culebra | 01/04/06
You wait till the last second.  thornec@... | 01/04/06
Re-read the report you reference  hawkeyeaz1 | 01/04/06
Lets be fair here.  bitfuzzy | 01/04/06
Facts & Data Please  preacherx | 01/04/06
Article quality = almost zero  NotBornYesterday | 01/04/06
Suzi, how did you MISS this?  michael_t | 01/04/06
Hmmm...  MildlyAmuzed | 01/04/06
Interesting  java.user | 01/04/06
...because it says the opposite of the story's intent? (nt)  ~doolittle~ | 01/05/06
Linux/Apache Webservers  faustus67 | 01/04/06
Good Question  MildlyAmuzed | 01/04/06
Yours is an old and completely discounted argument  NonZealot | 01/04/06
Possibly  faustus67 | 01/05/06
Where the rubber hits the road ...  preacherx | 01/04/06
True confessions: what's in a name ?  culebra | 01/04/06
Appeal to Authority...  MildlyAmuzed | 01/04/06
Being the most popular product is a half-truth. Here's the other half.  HypnoToad | 01/04/06
Take your own advice  NonZealot | 01/04/06
BOGUS STATISTICS!!!!!!  jurkovichr@... | 01/04/06
BOGUS STATISTICS!!!!!! Biased towards Microsoft!!!  jurkovichr@... | 01/04/06
all *nix releases combined have more vunerabilities than windows  ~doolittle~ | 01/05/06
Try this on for size ...  StupidScript | 01/06/06
RE: What operating system has the most vulnerabilies?  hhh_forums | 05/04/08

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