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Poll: Which area of Linux could use the most improvement?

I read a blog post by Ken Hess, “Linux Ain’t Broke But Here’s Five Ways to Fix It,” in which he lists five areas that could use some help and his suggestions for “fixing them.” Included in his list are no big surprises: virtualization, graphics, games, point-of-sale, and education. Certainly our members have lots of opinions about that last one, as evidenced by the nearly 300 comments on the topic of open source in schools in one of Jack’s recent posts.

Linux advocates are always looking for the best ways for Linux to compete with Microsoft and Apple. This week, Jack Wallen also takes a look at a “feature” in Linux that is both boon and bane to Linux adoption — the unbounded diversity that it offers.

With this in mind, if you had to pick just one area that Linux could improve on and get the most bang for the buck, so to speak, what would it be? What would really get people’s attention or persuade someone to take a closer look at migrating to Linux?

Take the poll and let us know your reasons for making the choice that you did.

What area of Linux improvement would have the most significant impact on adoption rate?

View Results

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Selena FryeSelena Frye is a Senior Editor at TechRepublic, where she has been since 2002. Read her full bio and profile.

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Consistency, software and hardware support. kraterz | 08/10/09
And the various flavours of MS Windows are different? - nt Deadly Ernest | 08/11/09
No, but better marketed. Palmetto | 08/11/09
I agree, which is why I earlier listed that as the issue - nt Deadly Ernest | 08/11/09
Yeah, Palmetto | 08/11/09
And the same applies to games too - nt Deadly Ernest | 08/11/09
What About Wireless Networking ? microface@... | 08/11/09
Again, vendor pre-installation is the solution. Palmetto | 08/11/09
this is mostly an issue with many of the hardware Deadly Ernest | 08/11/09
Now that can't be true SinisterSlay | 08/13/09
I gather you've never seen a product advertised as Deadly Ernest | 08/13/09
I can't think of any that worked out of the box SinisterSlay | 08/13/09
During the late 1990s and early 2000s I used to see a lot Deadly Ernest | 08/13/09
Were discussing how to improve Linux bryantwalley | 08/11/09
He was addressing the 'choice confusion' issue Palmetto | 08/11/09
the previous post I responded to I made a comment about Deadly Ernest | 08/11/09
Ah, But There's a Difference rickk@... | 08/16/09
NOT evolutions and the Win variants are just as numerous Deadly Ernest | 08/16/09
Nice Try... rickk@... | 08/17/09
I see the truth hurts - you say they aren't all available at Deadly Ernest | 08/17/09
evolution, how so? roy.evison@... | 08/18/09
See below - Yes but Standards First Sagax- | 08/11/09
For those I know, amoeba@... | 08/12/09
MATLAB joe.jordan86@... | 08/11/09
Are we the only company surviving without Photoshop? Palmetto | 08/11/09
Hardware configuration options. boxfiddler | 08/11/09
All true - but Standards FIRST Sagax- | 08/11/09
What do you mean by Standards FIRST? sskisuze@... | 08/12/09
slight problem rhomp2002@... | 08/11/09
Hardware issues phil.ferrar@... | 08/11/09
RE: Poll: Which area of Linux could use the most improvement? ejmarkow | 08/10/09
I disagree with most of the apps side Deadly Ernest | 08/11/09
How do I script a click event into an AVI or MPEG movie on a website? {nt} SinisterSlay | 08/11/09
that depends upon the scripting you use. Deadly Ernest | 08/11/09
So if I want active content in the movie SinisterSlay | 08/11/09
What sort of active content do you need in a movie? Deadly Ernest | 08/11/09
How about Codecs SinisterSlay | 08/11/09
you can set your browser to use a plug in or a full player Deadly Ernest | 08/11/09
But then you get this sort of stupidity SinisterSlay | 08/11/09
With MPEG being a better compression, you could use that Deadly Ernest | 08/12/09
Apps rickk@... | 08/16/09
I don't need flash. jeslurkin | 08/17/09
Standard or not, it is the customer's choice Forum Surfer | 08/18/09
If someone wants to sell me something, they need to do it in Deadly Ernest | 08/18/09
Now that I can agree with Forum Surfer | 08/18/09
most needed linux improvements roy.evison@... | 08/13/09
Other: Vendor installation. Palmetto | 08/11/09
Documentation tech10171968 | 08/11/09
There's plenty of documentation and it's beena round a Deadly Ernest | 08/11/09
True, there's plenty of it around tech10171968 | 08/11/09
That's long been my impression. Palmetto | 08/11/09
exactly, just like the help in DOS - nt Deadly Ernest | 08/11/09
But we're not encouraging people to migrate to DOS. Palmetto | 08/12/09
All the Linux systems I've tried out in the last seven years Deadly Ernest | 08/12/09
BSD documentation.... tbmay | 08/11/09
Marketing is where it really needs to lift up Deadly Ernest | 08/11/09
And yet, every month nVidia will release a new driver that adds new feature SinisterSlay | 08/11/09
the commands between the OS and the hardware in MS Deadly Ernest | 08/11/09
So in short, the standard command set is not good enough SinisterSlay | 08/11/09
the standard command set is good enough - but nVidea Deadly Ernest | 08/11/09
Marketing jprigot | 08/11/09
Other: Documentation.... How To's ThumbsUp2 | 08/11/09
There are the same support services available for Linux Deadly Ernest | 08/11/09
Tell a newbie to go on a linux forum dbozek | 08/11/09
Bull rhomp2002@... | 08/11/09
Over the last couple of years I've used the forums for the Deadly Ernest | 08/11/09
I've had good results and experiences at Palmetto | 08/12/09
And -- Available documentation worthless for newbie hhitchco@... | 08/11/09
RE: Poll: Which area of Linux could use the most improvement? silvergrrl | 08/11/09
Maybe you should have dual-booted first tech10171968 | 08/11/09
Perhaps, but... silvergrrl | 08/14/09
Learning timelines. Palmetto | 08/11/09
You are correct silvergrrl | 08/14/09
What distro were you using rhomp2002@... | 08/11/09
Yes, I "bothered" to look silvergrrl | 08/14/09
Quality control reggaethecat | 08/11/09
Open Source Developers develop what they want Tony Hopkinson | 08/11/09
Loads of developers developing crap apps reggaethecat | 08/12/09
No you aren't and you don't. Seeing as you aren't and Tony Hopkinson | 08/12/09
No... reggaethecat | 08/14/09
High quality and windows is a limited list Tony Hopkinson | 08/14/09
Tempting... reggaethecat | 08/17/09
That is a good start ! ! Larry.Barnhill@... | 08/13/09
A Good Samba and CUPS GUI. joe.jordan86@... | 08/11/09
CUPS GUI tech10171968 | 08/11/09
Well you are a programmer. Write one ! Tony Hopkinson | 08/11/09
Vendor Support csmith.kaze | 08/11/09
B@st@rds? Palmetto | 08/11/09
And never will be, until they do :( Tony Hopkinson | 08/11/09
Games Games Games... SinisterSlay | 08/11/09
Games, indeed Smeags | 08/11/09
Gamers almost control the home market SinisterSlay | 08/11/09
I have to agree Forum Surfer | 08/12/09
Games jck | 08/11/09
Gaming mist27@... | 08/11/09
I agree jeslurkin | 08/11/09
Drivers, Drivers, Drivers, Drivers, Drivers bobgroz | 08/11/09
Gotta disagree here... tech10171968 | 08/11/09
Unfair playing ground... SinisterSlay | 08/11/09
...And the same exact thing would happen... tech10171968 | 08/11/09
yeah but do i care? Forum Surfer | 08/12/09
Exactly my point SinisterSlay | 08/13/09
I always throw out the driver disc Forum Surfer | 08/18/09
Depends on the device for me SinisterSlay | 08/18/09
So you have a bunch of hardware that the manufacturers Deadly Ernest | 08/11/09
Marketing The 'G-Man.' | 08/11/09
RE: Poll: Which area of Linux could use the most improvement? nathan.calvert@... | 08/11/09
Newbies, newbies, newbies are the way... mikifinaz1@... | 08/11/09
Standards will help with this issue ireaneus | 08/12/09
RE: Poll: Which area of Linux could use the most improvement? douglashindle@... | 08/11/09
Strange... amoeba@... | 08/12/09
RE: Poll: Which area of Linux could use the most improvement? xmechanic@... | 08/12/09
Fonts John MacKellar | 08/12/09
I noticed that too in Ubuntu SinisterSlay | 08/13/09
I'm glad Point-of-Sale was mentioned motie38@... | 08/12/09
Self-documenting Configuration Files with the five W's (and H) micheldufrenoy@... | 08/12/09
Can't get no better than this..... FXEF | 08/12/09
How can you say that? SinisterSlay | 08/13/09
Stop wingeing "to compete with Microsoft and Apple." plrndl@... | 08/13/09
Biased a little are we? {nt} SinisterSlay | 08/13/09
Why Does Everyone Say That? rickk@... | 08/16/09
I agree, Apple doesn't just work Forum Surfer | 08/17/09
True, except for a few situations where a box has been Deadly Ernest | 08/17/09
But it still doesn't just work Forum Surfer | 08/18/09
RE: Poll: Which area of Linux could use the most improvement? herk@... | 08/13/09
That's a very sticky market Tony Hopkinson | 08/14/09
These three areas would help Matureman | 08/19/09
RE: Poll: Which area of Linux could use the most improvement? mocca007@... | 08/25/09

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