Mac does the media production very well, but I think more than that (since most people buying Macs don’t necessarily make media of any consequence), it’s sexy and it’s hip. If we could manage to make Linux not seem scary, but instead seem like the hip, visionary, revolution on your screen we all know it is, then we would probably pull a lot more people from Mac.

I am sorry but Linux doesn’t have these beuatiful application and doesn’t need it at the moment.

Linux’s main advantage is the low price, and hence the low end of the market. This end of the market want something cheap and that mostly works.

So while Apple attacks the higher end of the market, Linux needs to attack the lower end of the market. Two pronged attack.

Say at current market share
MS - 90
Apple -8
Linux - 1

Even if Linux miraculously eats at Apple’s share MS will still be 90.

Most Software developers still won’t see it necessary to make applications for non MS OSes.

But if Apple continued to eat away at the high end of the market:
Apple - 16
Linux - 4
MS - 80

Then you will see software developers writing their applications with a flexible architecture so it can be ported to other OSes.

You need to wipe away MS Monopolistic advantage to have any chance of succeeding. Buy going after Apple you are only helping MS.

The “unofficial” situation is totally different, especially when if comes to USB devices that conforms to the very strict USB technical standards. People like Greg K-H helped a lot to ensure that Linux conforms rather anally to these standards, which is both a pain and an asset. It means that “proper” USB devices have a very good chance of being supported under Linux, whereas the other more shady type USB device will be rejected by the Linux kernel USB subsystem. Most USB and FireWire devices works out of the box, and you can get some more esoteric devices (e.g. my Creative ZEN media player) can be made to work with some help (in the ZEN’s case there is a FUSE plugin that supports MTP, or Multimedia Transfer Protocol, and makes it available as a file system).

There will always be external devices that is so closed down that it will never work in either Linux or OSX, simply due to the fact that the vendor(s) are not interested in that part of the market. They also tend to be a lot more niche than, say, USB pen drives as a category.

For everyone talking about my statement that more devices and software support the Mac, I should have clarified myself. What I meant is that more external devices, such as MP3 players, random weird USB devices, and that sort of thing, support the Mac.

foo (who said windows games) - First, that is really just games support Windows, so see point #1. Second, I consider gaming a small niche market. I don’t have any numbers to back that up, but I don’t think the majority of people consider themselves PC gamers.

The only thing that’s missing to Linux is support from manufacturers (free drivers) and easy-to-use desktop applications (there are already some of them, but I think there’s still a huge lack here).

What Mark Shuttleworth is really saying (IMHO) is that Canonical’s Ubuntu software product is in competition with both, Apple’s OSX and Microsoft’s Windows, software products and he believes that new customers (or users) of Ubuntu will more likely come from people choosing between OSX and Ubuntu rather people choosing between Windows and Ubuntu. That is, the potential growth in customer base for both, Ubuntu and OSX, is from defecting Windows users who are “fed up” with Windows and looking at other options.

This is only the opinion of a person with limited real knowledge of the industry, but on gut feeling I would agree with Shuttleworth’s claim. It seems to me that people who are satisfied with using Microsoft’s Windows are not interested in “Linux” (few even know what a “Ubuntu” is…) and generally consider Apple or “Mac” users as some kind of strange, but harmless, cult. It’s the Windows users that have grown weary of the Microsoft OS and the computers it runs on (and this seems to be a growing number), and are looking for alternatives to do the things they feel they need a personal computer for, who are the potential new “marketshare” for both, OSX and Ubuntu (and other similar software products based on Linux and FSF software). So, what will be more appealing to most of these “Windows deserters”, an Apple Mac or a “PC” with Ubuntu or similar Linux-based system installed?

Aside from the fact Ubuntu and OSX are both alternatives to Windows they have very little direct competition. People buy Macs because they want an all in one hardware and software solution, Ubuntu do not offer this. Apple will grow their market share, but not at the expense of Linux growing theirs.