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“As I recently reported, there is an order of magnitude difference between the market share of Linux “out there” in the world, and the market share of LInux on Scienceblogs.com and on this very blog. Subsequently, I was trolled by my very own brother “… so, when is Luniux going to reach 1% market share?….” and this item has come out on ZDNet (which we all know is essentially funded by Microsoft, right?): Linux - Still chasing that elusive 1% market share.
[…]
So I went and looked. Here is the description of the database used by the Market Share service that everyone seems to rely on:
We collect data from the browsers of site visitors to our exclusive on-demand network of live stats customers. The data is compiled from approximately 160 million visitors per month. The information published is an aggregate of the data from this network of hosted website statistics. The site unique visitor and referral information is summarized on a monthly basis.
WTF?
Is this supposed to be some kind of unbiased sample? But wait, there’s more…
[…]
The complexity of this problem is actually rather large. But I can tell you one thing: If you were my graduate student and you came to me with this sampling strategy, I’d send you back to kindergarten. (If I had that power.) ”
Here is something to keep in mind:
“Windows-powered personal computers account for more than 90% of unit sales,. Linux 4%, Gartner says.”
schestowitz
15 years 23 weeks 3 days 3 hours ago
Around 32% in EU
Based on Xiti Monitor anyway....
Net Applications is rubbish.
http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2008/07/is_linux_getting_the_shaft.php...
“As I recently reported, there is an order of magnitude difference between the market share of Linux “out there” in the world, and the market share of LInux on Scienceblogs.com and on this very blog. Subsequently, I was trolled by my very own brother “… so, when is Luniux going to reach 1% market share?….” and this item has come out on ZDNet (which we all know is essentially funded by Microsoft, right?): Linux - Still chasing that elusive 1% market share.
[…]
So I went and looked. Here is the description of the database used by the Market Share service that everyone seems to rely on:
We collect data from the browsers of site visitors to our exclusive on-demand network of live stats customers. The data is compiled from approximately 160 million visitors per month. The information published is an aggregate of the data from this network of hosted website statistics. The site unique visitor and referral information is summarized on a monthly basis.
WTF?
Is this supposed to be some kind of unbiased sample? But wait, there’s more…
[…]
The complexity of this problem is actually rather large. But I can tell you one thing: If you were my graduate student and you came to me with this sampling strategy, I’d send you back to kindergarten. (If I had that power.) ”
Here is something to keep in mind:
“Windows-powered personal computers account for more than 90% of unit sales,. Linux 4%, Gartner says.”
http://ca.biz.yahoo.com/ibd/080807/tech.html?.v=1
And Gartner is GNU/Linux hostile...