Let me be the first to say these "popularity problems" are BS. Do we say Maybach has a popularity problem? Or that troop transportation vehicles, ion engines or other exotic solutions for very specific problems have "popularity problems"?
Desktop Linux is a niche product. It appeals to two crowds: software developers (specially software that runs on Unix-like servers) and their parents (because said software developers don't like to disinfect Windows computers during their visits).
Sure, but I'd love if Linux could provide stronger competition to Windows on the desktop. Getting popular games on Linux will certainly help, but I think Linux still needs to fix its UX/UI issues. They need to make it more of a "point-and-click" easy to use environment. I think Canonical is trying to do that with Ubuntu, but personally I don't like their specific Mac-ish direction they are taking. I prefer Linux Mint's direction.
I also very much dislike Windows 8's direction, and this could be Linux's big break in trying to capture as much market share as possible from Windows, but they need to beat the iron while it's hot, and not let the opportunity escape them.
It's much cheaper to give your parents your old PC or laptop with an updated distro (say, Ubuntu) and forget about viruses, etc. They usually get most of their needs from the web (eg. webmail, facebook, etc.) and you can SSH in the event they actually need to install anything.
If you are a developer, it's very likely your old PC or laptop will be good enough for their needs.
Right but when would you ever need to do that with a Mac? The few times you would need to remote in to solve something, you can just use VNC/ARD and "suffer" through the GUI.
It's also much more useful as a teaching tool. Instead of whatever the problem was being silently fixed behind the scenes... then cropping right back up again because it's caused by user error, your client can follow along and actually learn something.
That's my favourite thing about ARD. I can curtain a machine if I don't want questions or interruption, and I can reveal it if I want to teach something.
The real problem is evident in every single one of their replies: Logistics. The common user is simply not going to go out of their way to install linux -- if they've even heard of it. Microsoft and Apple ship their OSes to retailers pre-installed on machines. A linux box would be $300 - $400 cheaper than the same machine running Windows, but how do people get linux on their machines? They buy a windows machine, then put linux on it. I know a few manufacturers are selling machines with linux pre-installed, but I don't see them at my local Best Buy and I even have to go out of my way to find them online because the selection is simply limited and not widely distributed. And that's why the problem is evident in each and every one of their answers: These aren't business guys. They didn't even consider that they might have a business problem. It doesn't occur to them. That's why linux has a popularity problem.
Since this, frankly over hyped piece of work keeps generating non-news I'm obliged to refer all interested to this well known little essay/rant: http://linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW.htm
Despite focusing on Windows it's still relevant as insight into the culture of Desktop GNU/Linux.
Most DEs have a long way to go before reaching what most end / enterprise users would consider the same level of polish of OS X, or even Windows relative to their experiences and needs.
In Linux, those of us who use it use Linux on the server for reasons of reliability, and on the desktop for reasons of convenience (similarity). We don't often need an "enhanced multimedia desktop", and don't need the environment burdened by compatibility issues with 5+ year old office programs.
Linux is doing very well on the server, and good enough on the desktop - for those that need it.
Desktop Linux is a niche product. It appeals to two crowds: software developers (specially software that runs on Unix-like servers) and their parents (because said software developers don't like to disinfect Windows computers during their visits).