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Re:Microsoft's “Love” of Linux by FpUser on Thursday November 21, 2019 @12:13PM (#21596482)
the desktop doesn’t matter anymore

most casual users gave up computers for smartphones years ago

I would consider either statement to be completely false. While less people have full blown desktops almost everyone has laptop and modern laptops are good enough.

I would agree that there are many poor countries/places where people can only afford smartphone. But hopefully the future of humanity is to get better rather than going down to that level.

Re:Microsoft's “Love” of Linux by ClumsyPilot on Thursday November 21, 2019 @02:05PM (#21598069)
>"modern laptops are good enough."

Good enough for what? I am not sure I understand what you are claiming or how it disagrees with an OP. The point is, for many users the computer is just where they run a browser.

It does not matter whether they have desktop or laptop, and how powerful they are.

Re:Microsoft's “Love” of Linux by FpUser on Thursday November 21, 2019 @02:28PM (#21598395)
The point is, for many users the computer is just where they run a browser

Well there is a big difference between MANY and MOST. There is a whole world of creative people to whom browser on a phone just does not cut it.

Re:Microsoft's “Love” of Linux by ClumsyPilot on Thursday November 21, 2019 @02:51PM (#21598718)
Percentage of people living on web-apps is > 10%. Linux Desktop is 0.8% according to Statcounter, September 19

Which is the bigger threat?

Re:Microsoft's “Love” of Linux by FpUser on Thursday November 21, 2019 @03:39PM (#21599324)
Why on Earth did you bring LINUX desktop here? Anyways I am done with this Kool-Aid
Re:Microsoft's “Love” of Linux by jhall1468 on Thursday November 21, 2019 @03:52PM (#21599460)
That was the point of this entire thread. That MS doesn't care about Linux Desktop, so it's no longer a threat. The browser is the new threat, so being buddies with Linux is fine.

There's no secret plan here. Priorities have changed since 2002...

Re:Microsoft's “Love” of Linux by headmelted on Thursday November 21, 2019 @12:37PM (#21596863)
I don’t think sales figures support the notion that everyone has a laptop at all but I’d be happy to stand corrected.
Re:Microsoft's “Love” of Linux by FpUser on Thursday November 21, 2019 @02:31PM (#21598441)
I have few laptops. One is very old, 5-6 years I think gaming Asus. It still runs all titles just fine. If I was not a programmer why would I upgrade from that one? This can obviously make people upgrade less.
Re:Microsoft's “Love” of Linux by headmelted on Friday November 22, 2019 @02:22AM (#21603549)
Right but you’re a programmer on HN (same as most of us here I’d assume).

My point was that we’re not typical users - most users don’t use a traditional computer outside of work anymore as the phone fills that gap for them.

Microsoft isn’t threatened by Linux because they have way bigger things to focus on these days - ubiquitous mobile devices and proving Windows’ relevance in an age of web browsers everywhere.

Re:Microsoft's “Love” of Linux by FpUser on Friday November 22, 2019 @01:18PM (#21608290)
I do not have crystal ball with precise stats. I do however know and communicate with many people far removed from programming. Nearly all of them have laptops, few have actual desktops. Beside as an owner of some products with 10s of thousands of customers I regularly receive customer wishes. Requests to port to Mac OSX are clearly visible. Requests to port to phones are zilch.