Oolite Bulletins

Further to the above, it's generally claimed that Linux has only 1% of the desktop market, although the reality is there's no way to know for sure.

Overall however, Linux is totally killing the opposition.

As Smivs pointed out, Android IS Linux.

If you consider all computing platforms, including mobile, then Windows has only 20%, Apple's iOS and MacOS X combined has 24% and Linux has 42% (and that would be mostly in the form of Google's Android alone - much of the remaining 14% 'other' are lesser-known variants of Linux as well)

FD are being very short-sighted here I think.
As Dizzie points out the extent of Linux penetration is hard to assess (because 'sales figures' are unknown - it's free!) but it is almost certainly higher than the figures suggest.
A recent poll here suggests that around our members 27% are Linux users, and from a personal point of view almost all my friends are Linux users - the only Windows user I know is my Brother-in-Law.
There is a growing recognition that Linux is actually the superior gaming platform. Game-maker Valve are successfully marketing games to Linux users, so much so they are now promoting Linux to Windows users, and even Blizzard are known to have a working Linux version of World of Warcraft. Egosoft, THQ and Overhaul Games are also seriously looking at Linux.
We all know David Braben appreciates Linux (the rasperry pi runs it!), so why this backward-looking reluctance to accept that a Linux port of E:D is needed? Hopefully common-sense will prevail.

Smivs wrote:

FD are being very short-sighted here I think.

Is the quote actually from FD? Or just noise from their forum? I can't believe that, given the sheer difficulty of converting a game like this from desktop machines (with mice, keyboards, joysticks etc.) to pads, this is a statement from anyone with more than jam between their ears ... I mean, if we're talking platform conversions and if key inputs aren't a big deal, surely it would be easier, and reach a much larger gaming market, to convert to PS3 and XBox? I thought the quote was just from some nerk who got an iPad for Christmas and wants preferential service.

The quote was from a forum member - if it'd been from FD (or someone connected), I would have stated such!
Our penguinistas do seem to become very defensive, very easily though - it's an alternative OS, is all!

El Viejo wrote:

Our penguinistas do seem to become very defensive, very easily though - it's an alternative OS, is all!

Not so much defensive as standing up for our corner - we do feel like an oppressed (or at least neglected) minority sometimes, and as you say it is (just) another O/S, so why is it not treated as such?

Forget not the Raspberry Pi (I'm sure DB hasn't ). 1M+ units sold so far and all with Debian as the 'official' OS. Prime territory for a killer app.

Not that simple I think. For Frontier it's about what is commercially viable. I agree, Linux is a lot bigger than people think. It is also much more diverse in it's implementations than people think. Frontier has to think about
A) On what platform can E:D be installed and played including things like support for adequate control mechanisms and hardware.
B) Is there a user base on those particular implementations of the OS in question to make this economically viable.
There are many additional consideration such as how much does it cost to implement, what kind of support is required, what hardware is supported, distribution mechanisms, and so on.

In that scenario, I imagine that Mac OSX gives a faster and easier way to a larger market than Linux.
I certainly hope there will be a Linux version, but I think it will take a while.

Ooh... a news letter, with more concept art. The basic Sidewinder looks pretty cool!

It does - and those capital ships look lovely too. The Federation one looks quite Star Destroyer inspired though.

I ain't so keen on the capital ships - but I have odd ideas about capital ship design.

El Viejo wrote:

I ain't so keen on the capital ships - but I have odd ideas about capital ship design.

Well it looks at least they are doing it with taste. And besides I love Capital ships but not too many (like Eve). Also glad to see that with capital ship design in Oolite (Aurora, Emerald, Behemoth) we weren't too far of the concepts that I see now.

The cockpit variations look very good. I hope you can order yourself a variant of it. Also good to see the Sidewinder get some Love. To be honest in Oolite I would never buy this ship even a Griff variant because of having not so much cargo etc.

pagroove wrote:

Also good to see the Sidewinder get some Love. To be honest in Oolite I would never buy this ship even a Griff variant because of having not so much cargo etc.

The Eagle Mk II in Frontier was the Sidewinder of its day - I am happy to see it being centre of focus for startup commanders in ED though. Always had a soft spot for it.

I have to say, though, these designs in ED are almost Griff-like in their look. Maybe our beloved ship designin' man is doing some moonlighting?

NigelJK wrote:

Forget not the Raspberry Pi (I'm sure DB hasn't ). 1M+ units sold so far and all with Debian as the 'official' OS. Prime territory for a killer app.

Unfortunately I rather doubt that the Pi would have enough grunt to run E: D!

Well he got elite to run and a model B and and Electron