A small "sectional" observation
Well said. Our government agency is a seriously mixed environment. I give more leeway than most in allowing a user to choose their operating platform providing that they can justify it. That does trim a little off of the user training issue. While I prefer the Linux/MAC systems I will spend the money for a Microsoft system for a user. Training can be an expensive item these days.
What my ?bean counters? are finding is that Linux and MAC are show the lower TOC. Since I have 2 finance departments, State and the Feds, following up on this in great detail with their audits. As such I get an independent study from 2 groups every budget year. This gives me a good balance.
The interesting thing from our last PRISM inspection was when the team audited our training and qualifications program. The new users were performing their standards far better on Linux than on Windows. The MAC users were about equal to Windows but then they are still getting used to the Tiger OS. This surprised us since it has been said that the familiarity of Windows was and edge in user training and support.
Going one step closer to the new user group our classroom kids overwhelmingly prefer the Linux systems over Windows. They say it works better and their teachers don't have to call the ?janitors? in to fix them. Out of the mouths of the babes comes truth!
Again most pro Microsoft people forget that most of us who use Linux now have very deep experience in Windows. I find it amusing when they forget that fact and try to re-enforce the ROI & TCO ?sales? pitch to us. They really do forget that we (pro Linux) are more required to support Windows than they (pro Windows) support Linux simply due to the numbers. Some of us learn from our experience and some don't.
Strike that last paragraph it goes to another discussion. I patiently await the ?fallout? from saying it
