Linux hype 'overdone'

By PETER GRIFFIN

While many Linux enthusiasts predict this will be the "year of the penguin" with the open-source operating system really gaining ground, researcher Gartner has poured cold water on the Linux outlook for Asia and the Pacific.

Research completed by Gartner Dataquest in September for the Asia-Pacific region showed Linux penetration in the server operating system market at just 4.1 per cent. Windows NT and Windows 2000 combined had 65 per cent of the market, followed by Unix (12.8) and Netware (7.3).

"Linux continues to be overhyped, mostly due to anti-Microsoft sentiments," Gartner said.

For the full year, it estimated that more than 25,000 Linux "units" would ship, compared with 600,000 for Windows.