Do you see Linux gaining in popularity in the future?

Answer 1

I personally think Linux is the future. Because of it's closed nature, MS Windows has more difficulty adapting to a changing world and MS's tactics in the past have been to bludgeon the industry into complying with it. This is resulting in an increase of resentment in the industry, especially as recent Windows release Vista has had a less than stellar performance.

As Linux gains popularity it also gains contributors, MS can only gain contributors if it hires them raising costs. Most Linux contributors do it for free. Users can also contribute more to the development by becoming involved in support and even fixing problems themselves if they have the know-how. Where Linux encourages users to dissect it, tweak it and problem solve themselves, these actions are illegal with a MS product leaving users at the mercy of the corporation. Windows is very susceptible to viruses and malware, and this is unlikely to change in the future, due to the enormous internet security industry that relies on a compromisable OS in order to stay in business. While Linux is certainly not immune from viruses, it has no commercial interest in compromising it's security and it's developers and users have access to source code so solutions are implemented more rapidly.

Also, recent Windows releases have simply become a layering or essentially pointless features on top of an already bloated operating system making it unstable and unresponsive. This is unlikely to change, as expensive commercial software which demands backward compatibility is stopping MS from just being able to start things from scratch. As most Linux software is open source, many applications can be ported from one platform to another by developers and users, reducing the need for backward compatibility.

Also the main drawback of Linux at the moment is lack of support for some hardware, but already many hardware manufacturers are beginning to take Linux seriously and either publish propriety drivers or assist in the implementation of open source ones.

Answer 2

This is very difficult to answer, as it would require knowledge of the future. Linux is used in a large number of areas and works in many directions. It will doubtless continue to be popular in embedded and portable devices, as well as the booming netbook market.
Probably the same way it is used today: Everywhere. I expect it'll get more and more popular on the desktop as time progresses.