This deadlock needs breaking. I’m looking at you Adobe.

Many creative people haven’t switched from Windows to macOS because Adobe’s creative suite is not available on Linux. If Adobe would decide to start developing for Linux that would probably unlock this deadlock and Linux’s share would see an immediate bump.

People would usually search for alternatives only if they were using Windows and suffering on a daily basis. But with the 2016 keynote from Apple announcing the new Mac Book Pros and the lack of a powerful desktop alternative, folks have started looking elsewhere there too (elementary OS reports that here).

So if Adobe would bite the bullet, just like Valve did with Steam and the Steam Machine, perhaps then the the tables would really turn. Many smaller, more modern companies, are releasing software for all three systems. Atom, Spotify, Telegram, Fusion, Blender, Lightworks, Vectr, Skype, just to name a few off the top of my head.

Another possible scenario for the creative crew to jump ship and start using great OS alternatives such as Ubuntu, elementary OS or Mint, would be if new comers challenging Adobe such as Sketch and Zeplin would start deploying Linux versions. (Hat tip to designer friend Tiago for this insight).

So, who will make the first move?

(Discussion around this article takes place not only here but also on Twitter and Reddit.)

(Edit on the 18th Nov. 2016: added Vectr to the list of cross-platform tools for modern creatives.)