There are many people who want to see desktop Linux succeed, and there are many companies and independent projects working towards that goal. Linux has very strong ties to the server and embedded markets, and device for device outweighs Windows in the world. However, not everyone agrees trying to erode Microsoft desktop market share is the way to go for Linux growth, and one of those people is a chairman of Linspire.

Michael Robertson of Linspire thinks that pushing Linux onto the desktop has been a near-futile effort, claiming that the “ecosystem” of Windows on the PC is too complex to compete with. That's a far cry from the roots that Linspire came from. As many of us remember, Linspire was once Lindows, and they prided themselves on making an easy to use desktop OS that catered specifically to people coming from Windows. Instead, Robertson now feels post-PC devices, like ultra mobiles and low cost laptops, PDAs and others of their kind are where Linux needs to make its stand.

He's got a point – Linux as a kernel and a platform has been very attractive to the manufacturers of these products. Is the room for growth enough, however?