Lenovo: Linux is too hard, too complex and not what the customer wants

In a rather frank conversation with Tech Blorge, Lenovo's Worldwide Competitive Analyst, Matt Kohut, has claimed that Linux is a fading fanboy's dream and most people will more than happy to stick with Windows in the long run.

Speaking from Sydney, Kohut predicted that Linux is in for a less than rosy future. Suggesting its limited niche appeal, Kohut was quick to shoot down ideas of Linux taking off outside of netbooks, citing poor hardware and vendor support, and it being too tricky to navigate for the average user.

In one mind boggling quote, Kohut declared to Tech Blorge that Linux would always be a niche player:

 "Linux in netbooks and notebooks I don't think is ever going to happen," he said. It's a strange comment to make, considering that Linux is alive and well in the expanding netbook space.

In Europe, some countries have made Linux a national priority (Spain and Portugal for example), seeking the cost savings that come with dumping Windows in schools and government departments. Linux.org provides a detailed and official list of various governments around the world running Linux as as operating system alternative.

Kohut noted that the savings made by choosing a Linux based computer were not a good return on a customer's money, citing an unspecified number of ‘netbook returns' for the basis of his comment. Generally, Kohut believes that customers have found the Linux OS too difficult to use and too technical to understand.

"Linux, even if you've got a great distribution and you can argue which one is better or not, still requires a lot more hands-on than somebody who is using Windows... You have to know how to decompile codes and upload data, stuff that the average person, well, they just want a computer."

No doubt, Lenovo are in damage control right now, as there are bound to be an army of knife wielding Linux fans outraged by Kohut's comments. However Microsoft are probably pleased as punch with Lenovo's pro-windows stance.