52% of Developers Now Targeting Linux Used to Develop for Windows

SANTA CRUZ, CA, March 17, 2003 - Contrary to popular opinion, Linux is not currently getting most of its converts from the Unix space, according to Evans Data Corp.’s new Linux Development Survey. Although Linux may have initially drawn converts from the Unix community the survey found that more than half of Linux developers, 52%, used to primarily target the various forms of Windows, 30% of developers came from some form of Unix.

Linux’s top three strengths, as chosen by developers, are; stability, the fact that Linux is open source and cost. The open source aspect and low price tag – often free -- are going to make it difficult for any competing proprietary commercial product.

“This survey demonstrates another victory for Linux’s widespread adoption. The shift from Windows to Linux is a multi-faceted and dramatic one, and signals a serious wake up call to Windows developers,” said Nicholas Petreley, Evans Data’s Linux analyst. “Linux continues to benefit greatly from the open source model on which it is based, it has matured, improved and been adopted far faster than any other operating system.”

Other findings from the February survey of more than 400 Linux developers:

• Linux tools, while satisfactory, are still open to that killer tool. Sixty-one percent of developers indicated that compilers are of critical importance, yet, almost 25% say the compilers currently available for Linux are either “Adequate or “Needs Work”
• More than half of developers, 56%, believe that 64-bit architectures are important for their companies to develop to. However, so many developers still use Intel’s 32-bit architecture that the numbers reflect more of a wait and see attitude than intentions to move to 64-bit architectures in the near term.
• Thirty-six percent of developers expect to migrate to the 2.6 Linux Kernel within 6 months to a year after its release. The 2.6 Kernel is expected to improve scalability across more processors and provide the foundation for much needed improvements in multi-threading.

Evans Data Corporation provides regularly updated IT industry market intelligence based on in-depth surveys of the global developer population. Evans' syndicated research includes surveys focused on developers in a wide variety of subjects.

Copyright 2007 Evans Data Corporation. All other company names, products and services mentioned in this document are the trademarks and property of their respective owners.

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