Re: Linux / Japan usage?

[turnbull@example.com (Stephen J. Turnbull)]

>>>>> "Ted" == TMatsumu  <TMatsumu@example.com> writes:

    Ted> Does anyone have statistics on Linux use in Japan?  We've
    Ted> visited six Daigaku recently, three of them said Linux was
    Ted> their main PC operating environment,

This I simply do not believe.  I don't know any other Linux users here
at the University of Tsukuba.  There is essentially zero interest
among my peers in the "economics" faculty, many of whom are actually
either WWW geeks or database geeks, not economists at all; very little
among the students; and the technical staff are already supporting a
half-dozen OSes, they don't want to learn yet another.

I have a few connections in Info Systems; they all use Suns or (the
commercially oriented ones) Windows for Workgroups.  Somebody bought a
pile of Gateways recently, but I don't know anyone in that lab so I
don't know what they're running.  Could be Linux, I guess.  But using
Linux in the University environment is frankly a pain in the SCSI port
because so much of the stuff is on CDs not generally available in
Japan, and the accounting department hates cutting foreign currency
checks.

The main PC operating environment among the users I'm familiar with is
IBM/Messy DOS 6.2/JWindows 3.1 or the equivalents.  Mac is coming up
very quickly, but I assume you mean iAPX architecture boxes.

Also, I just can't imagine the typical Japanese technical support
person being willing to support Linux for the average luser.  There
are some hotshots, but there's no guarantee they'll be at the same job
after 12 months.  They don't like dealing with lusers either.

I don't know any Linux users at Osaka U, Kyoto U, or Tokyo U.  But I
don't know those populations well.  Everybody I do know is running
Suns, MacOs, or DOS/Windows.

There may be individual labs using Linux here and at the other
universities I've mentioned.  But are you sure that these people are
saying Linux is the main PC operating environment in those
universities, or do they simply mean their own labs?  Are you sure
they didn't think you were asking what the main WWW browser was, and
they answered Lynx?  That's about as likely....

    Ted> and three did not mention Linux at all? Thanks.

This is much more likely IMHO.

There used to be a survey of Linux use available from Linus or
somebody.  Maybe there still is if you finger him?  It might be
possible to get that database and find out how many addresses are in
Japan.

The other possibility would be to check on the fj.os.linux or whatever
newsgroup.  Finally, find out who distributes linux CD ROMs (not the
stores, the main importer---this is Japan, there *will* be an
exclusive dealership agreement.  Maybe Tsusansho can tell you.)  Ask 'em
how many they're selling.  Maybe you can check with the mirror site
(that's a bad sign, actually, only SPIN is mentioned as a mirror site
in the Sunsite MIRRORS---and SPIN tends to be about 6 kernels behind
in the development series).

-- 
                            Stephen J. Turnbull
Institute of Socio-Economic Planning                         Yaseppochi-Gumi
University of Tsukuba                      http://turnbull.sk.tsukuba.ac.jp/
Tennodai 1-1-1, Tsukuba, 305 JAPAN                 turnbull@example.com