Linux vs. Microsoft

I believe the numbers are as follows 90% microsoft, 6 percent Apple, 4 % and growing varied flavors of linux.
Are they a threat? yes, but not much of one. Look at OS2 where is it now? virtually non-factor!
Apple has always and will always have its' share of zealots who won't let go and rightly so it is superior in most respects just has never been able to do the marketing machine of microsoft in.
Linux is back to your unix background for most folks not a viable solution nor enough trained professionals to help, again look at microsoft and its mcse's.
Why switch to linux? It's free, has free software suites comparable to MSoffice, better security because no one is using it!!!! IF it had 90% of the market then maybe 90% of the hackerswould be cracking into it instead.
Why do companies blindly follow microsoft? Consistently poor operating systems, nothing a reboot can't fix. Security woes? It's tough to be king. But if you want to build businesses which cooperate with eachother again the 90% rule applies, they're microsoft so we're microsoft and they tell 2 companies and so on and so on......
That is pretty much it in a nutshell, they are and probably will continue to be "the" choice since everyone is currently using them. It's kind of like here we all drive cars to work and some of us take buses, some light rail. Until a light rail runs close enough to my house, why would i use my car to get me to the station instead of just driving it to work? Same with the bus.

There are huge savings to be made license wise by dropping microsoft and using linux, flip side there is the training issue and who can you find to hire to use it other than people exposed to microsoft?

Linux is a threat to Micro$oft in that they open the door to lower cost computing.

The telling point in the battle will be how well WalMart's $200 PC with the Lindows operating system does in the market.

If they sell like 'hot-cakes', then M$ may have a legitimate rival.

Linux is making some in-roads in the server market.

For the general corporate market, Linux is in a chicken / egg situation.
Corporations woun't buy PCs that do not support the applications they use.
Software companies woun't write software for an operating system that is not in wide usage.

Add to that, that many of the applications that are in use on Linux systems are also open source (non-profit), and the scope of the problem becomes clear.

However, if M$ continues down it's draconian road of higher cost more restrictive licenses, you are apt to see Linux begin to take off.

Chas

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