The Window is Shrinking, while linux opening all the doors

Linux inched ahead in the operating-system arena during the final month of 2009, even as Windows and Mac gave up some ground.
That's according to research firm Net Applications, which recently released its Market Share report covering operating systems in December.
Linux accounted for 1.02 percent of the market in December, up from an even 1 percent the month before, Net Applications reported.

A Peak in May

Windows, meanwhile, fell from 92.52 percent in November to 92.21 percent in December, while Mac fell from 5.12 percent to 5.11 percent during the same time, the company found.
Linux's market share was 0.98 percent in February 2009, peaking for the year at 1.17 percent in May, according to Net Applications' data.
Windows was at 94.74 percent in February, while Mac was at 4.55 percent.
Also tracked by Net Applications are Java ME, iPhone, Symbian, iPod touch, Windows Mobile, Android and a variety of other systems.

Rival Data

Of course, estimates for Linux's market share are notoriously variable and controversial, given that -- unlike other operating systems -- there is very little sales data.
Rival tracking site W3Counter, in fact, puts Linux's market share at a significantly higher 2.14 percent for the month of December, up from 1.8 percent the month before.
Windows -- including XP, Vista, 7, 2003, 2000 and 98 versions -- went from 85.69 percent in November to 86.43 percent in December, while Mac fell from 7.46 percent to 7.44 percent, according to W3Counter.
Advocates of free and open source software, meanwhile, estimate that Linux's share may even be in the double digits.

'A Very Quiet Creep'

Finally, "the idea of a computer OS is no longer limited to desktop and notebook PCs, so as convergence continues to blur the line between the PC and the smartphone, Linux is well-positioned to grow because of its flexibility, cost and other advantages," Lyman noted.
Whether or not these "more indirect and discreet gains will be measurable or noticed," of course, is another question, he added.
Still, "I expect a very quiet creep for Linux in the OS market," Lyman concluded, "particularly in desktop and consumer devices."