[digi_owl]

Hurd was a research project as much as a working kernel.

I Think the project restarted 3 times in 10 years...

Linux may have been crude etc, but it was here, it was working, and it was free (in both senses of the word).

Frankly i see the lack of Linux on the desktop less about the quality of Linux, and more about MS abusing its market position and a massive failure to regulate.

[TsukasaUjiie]

"and more about MS abusing its market position and a massive failure to regulate." thats a pretty vague statement.

IMO its simply the fact that Windows/OSX have set a high bar of out-of-the-box usability and shine that GNU/Linux simply hasn't reached. Not that this is a bad thing, it just might be worth accepting that we can't compete on desktop.

[digi_owl]

Back during the netbook froth, they put XP on life support using a highly focused license that ended up defining what a netbook was (in essence a small, underpowered, laptop).

This while the early netbooks from Asus and Acer ran Linux installs that can be likened to ChromeOS, with a UI somewhat like Windows 8 Metro.

What they did may very well be considered market position abuse.

[jacquesm]

Linux has been my desktop OS of choice for over a decade now and it works just fine in that role.