[fauigerzigerk]

>I like to think of desktop Linux as a DIY hobby; but not something that you can expect commercial software vendors to support.

I don't use desktop Linux myself and I'm not usually a desktop Linux advocate at all, but I know that a lot of developers use desktop Linux professionally for good reason. Public administration in Europe is also very gradually moving towards using more Linux on the desktop (in spite of well publicised setbacks). There is a lot of public pressure in that direction.

Desktop Linux may not be important now, but it probably has more growth potential than anything else. And if it grows even just a little bit, the impact on Windows/Mac-only cloud solutions will be disproportionate. It doesn't take a huge percentage of Linux desktops to make Windows/Mac-only cloud solutions very cumbersome.

I think it's a smart move by Dropbox to occupy that niche now, even if it's loss making. There could even be a bit of a moat, because Microsoft and Google both have reasons (Windows/Chrome OS) to drag their feet.