On 29/03/07, Richard Lockwood <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Even 10% is significantly higher than 0.4%
I was using 10% as an upper limit. If the true value was over 5% I would not be surprised. The next round number above 5% is 10% and over that would surprise me.
No - this is not evidence. You're coming up with a series of hypotheses to fit your scenario - that a significant proportion of people use Linux as a desktop OS. This is the same arguing technique that proponants of Intelligent Design use. "You can't prove otherwise, so it must be true."
Maybe I should have phrased what a said differently? Will you allow me to do so now? There are possible inaccuracies associated with this metric for judging Operating System usage. This may cause the number to be inaccurate so can not be relied on as 'proof' as that would require an element of certainty. It can been seen as to suggest certain things however.
There was a very interesting (and to my mind, fairly written) article in The Register yesterday about installing Linux: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/03/28/desktop_linux/ (cue Linux-heads bleating about how he should've used a different distro
Thanks for the cue ;) PCLinuxOS is experimental, see it's download page. Experimental technology is not going to work properly. Please use a more stable system if you want to actually have any kind of meaningful comparison. In summary, you should not claim statistics as "proof" of something unless it can be shown that all possible failings in the metric where accounted for. You have not shown this. It suggests that the usage of Linux is very low at the time, it does not _prove_ it categorically. And I don't need to prove it to be wrong to prove it doesn't prove something. Remember not being able to prove "A" does not prove "not A" The truth is probably that know one knows for certain what the usage of any operating system is. Incidentally the BBC itself had a story that suggested a figure of 6%. (lost the link, it was about Dell planing to offer Linux boxes, was on the front page of the technology news, I will find the link if you want it) Oh and before I go you used the term "significant portion", how many would be considered significant? Andy -- First they ignore you then they laugh at you then they fight you then you win. - Mohandas Gandhi - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
