Shoe Bill

Regardless of operating system—Windows, Mac, GNU/systemd/Linux (I had to), BSD, whatever—is desktop computer use niche in its own right?

I would normally never sub-toot like this, but the message this is about was probably auto-deleted; I can't find it. It was also so long ago that I feel like I would be taking it outside of the original context anyway, so it's probably for the best.

At any rate, someone said that; that even using a desktop in the first place is niche. They also said that Linux desktop use is even more niche, and I would have to agree with that, obviously; I don't know if I agree with the first statement or not, though, honestly.

I don't talk to enough people about computers, enough, outside of whatever context in which it's already assumed that said people are already interested in computers, so I have no real way to gauge this.

#AskFedi #FediPoll

Yes
49%
No
51%
Poll ended at .
Mar 5 at 3:53pmWeb
Show threadTerryBMar 5
@the Though laptops, perhaps with external KB and even monitor, seem more commonplace than the traditional tower/desktop. WFH and hot-desking probably the reason for that.
Show threadShoe BillMar 5

@terryb

Yeah, there were a couple years when I was running on a laptop that sat on a stand 24/7 and never moved. The screen on the laptop itself was the "side monitor" because it was the smaller of the two. You can do a lot worse, honestly.

Show threadBack To AnalogMar 5

@the

And using Linux desktop isn't niche anymore. Anybody can use it now days.

Show threadSamuel SmithMar 5

@the most people I know have desktops. They're all geeks like me.
The rest generally don't have computers in that format. Smart TVs, iPads, yes, but not desktops and not many laptops.

Where I work now, everyone has computers. It makes it feel normal. But at a previous job, I had to teach a new employee where the "shift" key was. Computers are imo still niche, but it is a large niche.

At what point would we consider something "mainstream"? 50% adoption? 80%?

Show threadShoe BillMar 5

@Jirikiha

I don't think, with something like this, that I personally would consider it either niche or not niche based on the percentage of people using it, honestly. How I would look at it instead is, "What percentage of people would consider it niche?" In other words, if one were to poll a sufficiently high number of people at random, and fewer than 50% of them were to say that desktop is not niche, then to me personally, it's not niche (and vice versa). I almost never give nearly as much weight to how popular an opinion is or isn't, but this is one of the rare cases where I think that's actually the most important thing to consider.

Show threadMalka BethMar 5

@the @Jirikiha I don't think it's just a matter of how many individuals own & use them at home but also at places like public libraries & travel/commute to work offices.

Like in my town as much as I think it annoys the owner & leader, the bodyshop repair place needs that desktop to run the business. Typically greasy hands can't have 2-4 windows open on a smartphone to get parts & labor priced out for estimates & billing - that needs a bigger setup for sense.

Show threadMalka BethMar 5

@the I'm at least equally frustrated lately over my not having a desktop computer as I am a continually leaky roof top, because there are so many tasks that if I have at least a working desktop setup, with a printer, then I don't need to leave my home for whatever, it's ridiculous, so to call them "niche" as a whole is just as much the case.

Also if there really were "niche" then there wouldn't not only be as many linux kernels meant for desktop computers but also variants of big tech OSs with programs exclusive to them, that also are pretty exclusive to the desktop sphere.

*Yes, about 75-85% of tasks can often be done without a desktop, if you fidget enough with a tablet, smartphone, printer & laptop computer that are all pretty current, but that remaining bit is an important piece, as is the time & energy efficiency piece that said fidgeting requires.... 3-6 hours &/or $50-200 every 3-6 months to get around the lacking desktop or not having current enough laptop, tablet & phone computer types being problematic.

Linux is no longer niche in the desktop sphere either, even as I think on the smartphone computer sphere it still is, albeit a growing one.

Show threadPseudonymous Mar 6

@the

The most used microprocessor-calculation device is currently the smartphone. This statistic is biased because China and India have almost 100% smartphone penetration. In the U.S. the smartphone is growing, but unless you include tablets, the Nook, the Kindle, etc., is not yet a strict majority. 

The most used operating system in the world is Linux because Android is descended from Linux, and Apple is basically unheard of outside North America. Also, most servers are neither of MicroSoft nor Apple, with Linux and other Unix descendants the majority everywhere. Those factors combine to make a Venn diagram. Your friend gets to only be technically correct, which is the best king of correct. 

Show threadUniversal Basic FriendMar 7

@the my class at uni is normally 100-300 people.

I always mention I'm using linux because it's an excuse to get out of things no one should be expected to do for privacy reasons. Often the teacher will ask if anyone else is on Linux and there will be 1-3 of us out of 100-300.

As for desktop vs laptop: hard to know. Last desktops I used were a onsite at workplaces (hospitals are full of them). Last personal desktop I had was built from recycled office dumpster parts and gave up decades ago. All my fellow students work off laptops, I don't know anyone with a current personal desktop except on the fedi.

Edit: as for neither desktop nor laptop: I know just one person who exclusively uses a 'smart device' (a tablet computer with proprietary software), they're in aged care. They have a limited use case and they specifically want limits to that the device does.

Show threadUniversal Basic FriendMar 7

@the Inb4 how does Linux get you out of privacy violations as a uni student? Like this:

Teacher: just hit this button and it will show us all your face and the inside of your dorm
One person: what about on mac?
Teacher: hit this other button
Me: I'm on Linux, it doesn't do that
Teacher: wow, really? Linux! Cool!! That must be so technical! Okay, you just watch. Well everyone else, hit this other button that opens your hard drive contents on the screen...

Show threadViolet MadderMar 8

@the

Nope, but big tech is FIGHTING HARD TO MAKE IT THAT WAY.

Show threadTrump & Epstein: Biz partners.Mar 8
@the
What's the question? 🤨