Linux has made remarkable technical progress in recent years, yet its relationship with the desktop hasn't changed at all. Worldwide, Linux's market share hovers around 1.5 percent, and the same applies on the other side of the pond, but there a new challenger appears: Chrome OS. The wide availability of Chromebooks in the United States, combined with their generally low cost, has pushed Chrome OS to 3.36 percent of the market, a jump of more than 50 percent compared to the previous year.
Chrome OS began its adventure in June 2011, but some of our readers may still remember the distribution of Cr-48 computers, which served as a test platform for the operating system. Over time, several manufacturers joined the ranks of Chrome OS, and the combination of a very low cost per unit and Mountain View's infrastructure in the background won the approval of many users. Its growth is slow but steady, and it would be helpful to see more Chromebooks in other markets, even if they have to compete with Windows 10 laptops. Now, what about Linux? Its cost is also low, and compatibility improves day after day. In fact, Chromium OS, which serves as the "skeleton" for Chrome OS, is a modified version of Gentoo Linux.
These are interesting details, but the market keeps singing the same song. The share that Linux accumulates in the United States is 1.47 percent, while Chrome OS jumped to 3.36 percent in the same period. StatCounter's chart tells us that in February 2016, Chrome OS stood at 2.02 percent, and Linux at 1.32 percent. In other words, Chrome OS needed twelve months to double (and then some) Linux's market share, which only registered a rise of 0.15 percent. The European market tells a different story: Linux has a 2 percent presence, against Chrome OS's 0.42 percent. Still, if we look at the evolution over the last year, we find that Linux grew by 0.03 percent, and Chrome OS almost doubled its market.
Of course, there are many factors to consider. Google's ability to promote its Chromebooks and reach agreements with manufacturers is far superior. The hardware package it officially supports is much more limited, which in turn allows it to concentrate its efforts. And that automatically leads us to the concept of zero configuration, something traditional distros haven't fully achieved. Personally, I'm not worried about Linux, as it serves its users wonderfully, but at the same time I hope Chrome OS keeps growing.
