Maybe...but not yet. It's too impossing to new users if they need to change settings that don't have a GUI (then again drop into a DOS box and start typing a few commands and a fair few people look at you as if you are some kind of Windows guru) 'hardcore' Windows users take one look at Linux and tend to get that funny look on their face, and then walk off. Unix user on the other hand seem to take to Linux a lot easier for some reason

I think it would take a some major blunder by M$ combined with some important advances in Linux. Tighter and tighter liscensing restrictions by M$ and it becoming more and more expensive to use could do it.

One major problem for Linux is lack of a gaming API. One of M$ best moves was the creation of DirectX. The gaming developers have said they will continue to not port games to it until it has a similar API. Some people might scoff at the idea that games are holding Linux back, but how many of those same people have at least one game on their computer? They may not play games but most households have at least one person that is going to be very disappointed if they can't play games anymore.

Drivers are another issue. How many winprinters and winmodems are out there that don't work at all with Linux? Last time I checked most still didn't.

Broken/incomplete programs. Sure you can do most things on your Linux machine, just be good at figureing out how it works on your own. Lack of documentation can be a real killjoy to a user. So are visible buttons that don't do anything. Programs that don't start for no apparent reason is real fun as well.

Lack of a simple file system. If I am looking for a program in windows it is almost always in C:\Program Files\(company name or program name). Common things tend to only go into a few directories. In Linux they are liable to be anywhere. This can be extreamly frustrating. "I know I installed it. Now, where the h*ll did it go!?!?!"

Either KDE or Gnome needs to become dominate. Too many programs work with one or the other and sort of with the oppisite.

The ability to configure it has gotten much much better.

It has come a long way. It has a long way to go. I hope it makes it. We need more choices I think.

p

Yes, no doubt it, it's getting there.
The main problem with Linux is the lack of software compatibility with Windows. With projects like Lindows where virtually all Windows programs could run withing the Linux OS, then the answer is undoubtably yes.
I know I'll switch to Linux in a eyeblink if I can still run all my Windows programs. Games will follow too, the equivalent of DirectX is being ported on the Linux plateform.
I say another 2 to 3 years maximum and Linux will be ready for primetime.

It will remain about as popular with users in general as LiteSTEP is with Win users in particular.....too great a learning-curve will put most off.
I just spent half a day re-coding my latest theme's step.rc and script.rc to be 'cleaner' and 'better'...and that's after 5 years of meddling with LS.....enough to put a lot of people 'off' switching from Exploder...

Don't forget that OSX's core is Unix. With interfaces such KDE/Gnome getting more and more advanced, the ease of use is becoming a piece of cake. Even installing a software is getting to be easy with RPM files.

By the way, did you know that there are more Linux users than Mac users? (I'm not kidding, it's about 6% vs 4%).

What werewolf said. I also think it's going to be a support nightmare for Wal-Mart.

Hey, any one notice how a lot of these linux distros seem to need a non-NTFS formatted space to install to, and to get it running NTFS, you have to patch later? Well how do you get it installed to get to be able to patch if the original drive is preformatted with NTFS because you are running win2k?

Can you run some proggie that removes part of the NTFS partition and converts it to FAT32 to do the install?

Or is it not possible to run FAT32 and NTFS on the same physical drive?

Or what about having a slaved drive running FAT32 with the master running NTFS? Does that work? Although, would it even boot to Linux since it would be installed on the slave drive?

hmmmm...and yes, I have been digging around on FAQs and distro homesites, as well as trolling the help sites I have found. I wish they had post dates on them...some I came across were from pre-win2k, so there was not much of an NTFS issue back then...

I've been playing with Linux for a couple of years now and I like it (not as my main OS though). The only way I can see Linux becoming acceptable for the masses, is when people like my mother can use it. Right now, she can fire up her system, log onto the Internet, check her mail and do a small amount of other things. When it gets to the point that it is as easy to use as Windows, it might stand a chance. Until then, it is just going to be a niche market for technical types.

OSX might create more goodwill towards Linux and the like. It's what people need really. Something that's easy to set up and works.

But I think that'll take quite some time.