Linux is not an Operating System

Linux is the new UNIX and the new VHS. Let me explain.

How did UNIX become the "cool" and enterprise standard operating system?. It was free and had, for lack of a better term, geeky credentials (Berkeley, Bell Labs etc.). When the university and the technical literati trickled down to enterprises, their operating system of choice - UNIX - spead its wings and became the standard for running business critical applications.

A similar, but a slightly different adoption behavior dictated the standard for recorded multimedia, i.e. Betamax vs. VHS. VHS became popular because of two reasons - its longer recording time and simpler mechanism (rewind/fast forward mechanisms) leading to wider adoption by the adult entertainment and home recording. This adoption was inspite of what is generally regarded as betamax's better quality and hence its reversal of roles in the professional industry where Betacam is a clear winner against competing VHS formats.

The above two examples from history tell us that two things are important for a product to be successful. Adoption cycle origination points, and how well the product resolves the issue/problem it addresses.


UNIX was always free. One can download a version from many university sources making it an open source operating system. It is still one of the most fully developed and mature operating systems. It is so good that most large enterprises of the world use it to run important applications. It is so good that many computer companies - SUN Microsystems, Hewlett Packard, IBM and a few other second tier players started to make their own versions of it and make money from it. And that is the problem with it.

Linux is free. Fairly easy to use for those that would attempt to use something like an Operating System. Has enough geeky credentials. So why is it the new UNIX?

Humanity, at least a section of it, many times for very valid reasons I must add, has problems with people or organizations profiting using their hardships. There are ample examples - Microsoft (at least until Bill started to spread his wealth), Rockefeller, the Colonial British etc. Here we have large companies making hordes of money using a free operating system called UNIX. This has to be put in check and here comes Linux.

With exactly the same adoption cycle originations as UNIX, i.e. enough geeky credentials, universities, free and making the usability a bit easier (than unix), Linux is a movement and not a workload or operating system to make money for large corporations. So please do not address it such. You merely join this movement with the right intentions. If not, it is only a matter of time before we have another operating system. So, like VHS, Linux solves the problem - large companies making money out of public property is not good - it is trying to address quite well. UNIX like Betacam will continue to serve the professional i.e. Enterprise application markets quite well.... Until of course DNIX (ala DVD) appears.