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Linux runs 85 percent of the world's fastest computers

Linux is the market-share leader in supercomputing. Windows? It hardly shows up.

Matt Asay Contributing Writer
Matt Asay is a veteran technology columnist who has written for CNET, ReadWrite, and other tech media. Asay has also held a variety of executive roles with leading mobile and big data software companies.
Matt Asay

Windows rules on the desktop, but if you want serious performance, there's only one choice: Linux.

As The 451 Group captures in a great write-up of the most recent Top500 report of the world's fastest supercomputers, Linux is the default choice for 85 percent of the world's fastest computers. Windows? It can barely scrape together 1 percent market share.

Top500

The world's fastest supercomputer, built by IBM, uses the xCAT distributed computing management and provisioning tool, created by Egan Ford (a friend and IBM's supercomputer guru). The good news for Microsoft? It's open source. Microsoft can use it, too!

Of course, Microsoft would have to switch to Linux first, but that's a small sacrifice to be part of the club generating serious performance for customers, right? Right?!? :-)