Munich city council's decision to move from Windows to Linux may be under scrutiny, but it's worth remembering it's not the only major organisation to have chosen open source for its desktops. Linux-based desktop operating systems face barriers to widespread adoption and skepticism about their future prospects due to their limited use today. Yet major users do exist, including companies such as Google and a small but growing number of government bodies.
TechRepublic covers five of the major players that have invested seriously in Linux desktops.
- Google
- NASA
- French Gendarmerie
- US Dept of Defense
- CERN
- yo mamma
If people could choose a fully functional desktop with Windows for $500 versus the same fully functional desktop with Linux for $350, you're damn right price would be a factor. But it is NEVER that clear due to the continued OEM bundling/coercion force of Microsoft.
Only system builders get to see the economics of this first-hand when they have to decide whether to spring for a Windows license (and which one).
In short, Microsoft didn't stop being evil just because Google and Apple started.