The name of the game is get on the Internet? Where everything you desire is available. SAAS is the word. They are ASPs for users to do online. What you do online is left online, so that your computer does not have to maintain any data integrity, which is costly.

If you only want to do your own desktop, then you can stay with KDE and Gnome. You are isolated from the rest of the world, without a good browser(Konqueror is merely Dillo). But who wants that isolation?

So, the many distros out there, are useless with FireFox that can not log onto all the banks online. Or else you are desktop bound isolated. Then too many distros have too many bugs; or can not setup drivers for your computer?

Sad but true. Usable Linux is few and far between?

I've been reading a lot about the weaknesses of Linux and the number of Linux distributions always comes up. People argue that new users are confused by this and it's a major stumbling block. Yes I do think a few new users may be confused by this but non the less I still feel they try anyways. This article brings up a good rebuttal. It's all Linux anyways any distribution can do what the others do it really comes down to the focus of the development teams. The reason there is fragmentation is the exact reason why people are moving from Windows. There's no choice with Windows if XP does something you don't want it to you can not legally change the OS and publish it for others to use. With Linux you can. The Beauty of the whole thing is there's some many different distributions one can easily fill whatever niche you're in. There's Religious distributions, Lifestyle oriented distributions and even Nerd oriented distributions (I'm sure that came as a surprise). Linux celebrates diversity that's not a negative. What is a negative is the mindset that has been shaped by a money driven non service oriented market. This is where we get such comments as "Linux will never make it if it is fragmented" Linux is truly not fragmented that would imply that it would be broken. Every Linux distribution has it's place and its function, they learn from one another and grow together what looks to be fragmentation from business model window on the inside is a living breathing organism that is growing stronger and more ready to fill the needs of just not a home computer user, but any user.

Um...no.

With that logic, each Car/Truck manufacture should do their own thing. As long as "they get you where you're going" what difference does it make how they do so? You'll need several driver licenses, one for each car manufacture, and each type will use different controls and methods of "driving" the car.

Need to gas up the tank - start searching for that Ford or BMW or Kia gas station now. Want to buy that special pair of "fuzzy dice" for the rear view mirror, best make sure it's available for your specific manufacture.

Numerous distro's and all their boutique branches does nothing but dilute the development effort, limit not expand the choices, and confuse the masses. That, plus a complete hodge podge of half-assed marketing attempts and is it any wonder Bill still laughs all the way to the bank?