Actually I'm REALLY GLAD that linux owns such a tiny share of the desktop PC market. This means that evil virus hackers have almost ZERO incentive to invest their time crafting attacks on linux desktops.

I would say that one reason for the lack of linux desktop dominance, is the huge barrier of the tightly integrated Microsoft app suite.

What business or individual person would want to wrestle with the challenge of trying to ensure linux app compatibility with the far larger Windows app world ??

Saving dollars by avoiding MS licensing fees would never justify the ongoing nit-picky nightmare of coping with app incompatibilities (word processing, spreadsheet, database etc.) between Windows and linux.

And where are the tens of thousands of linux specialists who could be hired to provide support to millions of linux desktop end users ??

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My last Windows PC was / is an ancient Dell clunker still running WinXP. I boot up that creaker occasionally to fetch a file from my past. USB and email are my methods of WinXP / Debian connectivity.

It was when Microsoft told me I would lose compatibility with many of my WinXP apps, when I moved on to post-XP Windows, that I decided to become a linux rebel.

I've been a happy Debian desktop user for many years. But then I am a retired software engineer who enjoys messing around with linux.

I have been retired for two (2) decades and almost never need to share documents with Windows PC users. The Open Office suite does seem to offer pretty good Windows app file support.

We can be eternally grateful to the U.S. government for having blessed the world with the public-domain PDF standard. For me as a linux desktop PC user, PDF and email are the foundations of interoperability with other people.

For sure, GTALUG has been a vital source of linux advice. I'm impressed almost every day, by the depth and breadth of knowledge GTALUG participants demonstrate. Way beyond the walls of plain linux.

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Ron / BCLUG has pointed out, the incalculable power of Windows as default.

Let's not forget the Google default, either. Go shopping for a tablet computer and you will invariably wind up using Android.

A friend of mine bought an Android tablet to replace her Windows notebook when that died. She has regaled me with stories of her being mystified / confused / maddened with Android weirdnes-es.

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What amazes me about the latest CrowdStrike fiasco, is how TERRIBLY FRAGILE is the entire computing ecosphere.

How has it happened that we humans have configured our so very very vital software infrastructure, such that a single company can make a single mistake, and take down such a huge portion of the world's PC asset base ??

Steve Petrie

Etobicoke (Toronto), Ontario, Canada

apetrie@aspetrie.net

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