Running a business on deskt...

There is much more to cost equation than the up-front price you pay. Microsoft has done an outstanding job of hiding the true costs of its software from consumers. Linux eliminates these hidden costs from Windows:

• Fewer security and privacy problems
  
• No loss of support as systems age
  
• No problems running current software on older computers
  
• No forced software and hardware upgrades every couple years
  
• No system slowdown over time (due to Registry bloat, malware, or other causes)
  
• No forced upgrade of one product due to artificial coupling with another ("Installing this product requires IE 8!")
  
• No need to re-install the operating system due to software corruption
  
• No performance costs from built-in digital rights management (Vista Content Management)
  
• No worry about whether you understand the legalistic license terms
  
• No buying multiple licenses for desktop and laptop, or for primary and backup systems
  
• No risk that the software CD you purchased in good faith is counterfeit
  
• No system outages due to inaccurate license checks by Windows Genuine Advantage
  
• No errant "piracy pop-ups" when you're running legal software due to Microsoft's Office Genuine Advantage
  
• No restrictions on computer upgrades (no Windows Product Activation / Windows Genuine Advantage)
  
• No restrictions on disk image backups (no WPA/WGA or Registry problems)
  
• No restrictions on moving disks between computers during upgrades (no WPA/WGA or Registry problems)

Linux empowers you to run your business on low-cost computers that are deemed worthless within the distorted perspective of "Windows world." I'm writing this article, for example, on a Pentium III. It runs Ubuntu just fine, and it runs Puppy Linux fast as a scalded greyhound.