Who Will Win As Linux Market Consolidates?

Two small Linux companies are merging. What does it mean to Linux market leaders like Red Hat, Novell and Ubuntu — and Linux customers? Here are some clues from The VAR Guy.

First, some background: Xandros has acquired Linspire. Xadros is making big, wonderful claims about the Linux-focused deal. But Matt Asay over at CNet’s “The Open Road” blog provides a healthy reality check — and some harsh words from Linspire’s former CEO.

Fact is, there’s only one real winner here: Customers. Here’s why.

There are far too many Linux distributions from which to choose. Most consumers walking down Main Street USA have never heard of Red Hat — and even fewer know about Novell and Ubuntu.

Start tossing niche players like Xandros and Linspire into the conversation, and most consumers will retreat to Redmond, opting for the “comfort” and “safety” of Windows — rather than the challenge of selecting the “best” Linux.

Goodbye, Linspire (at least as a standalone company). And thank you to Xandros for funding a market consolidation that’s badly needed. The VAR Guy applauds customer choice and open source. But in this case, fewer Linux options will mean faster decisions by frustrated Windows customers.