This post is in reply to an article by Tom Yager.

Tom,

Linux is just a kernel. The platforms you speak of are the myriad distributions that are built on top of that kernel. Right now, the Linux scene is too fragmented, with respect to the number of distributions that are out there, to capture the market share of any significant portion of business users. The choices can’t be differentiated by the average IT department and seemingly offer no real desktop advantage over what Windows provides. And there’s something to be said for having Gold or Platinum support, as well ;-)

However, the Linux platform has one advantage over Solaris and Java, and even OS X and Java. The desktop platform won’t last forever. More and more services are moving to the Web and other Internet transports. And you may find that Windows becomes irrelevant when Google and Yahoo (Linux and FreeBSD, resp.) and others like them power the majority of services of which the business user takes advantage. Salesforce.com (Linux), Gmail (Linux), Skype (Linux), Asterix (any *nix), Basecamp (Linux) you name it; its getting close. The users of the future will want their services wherever they are, and Windows can’t deliver that because people aren’t developing for Windows like they used to. The reason: Linux gives them the ability to create whatever they want, not just what Microsoft wants them to be able to. And, just like before, what business users use at work, they will use at home. It is only natural.

Linux will never beat Windows at its own game, that’s true. But the game is changing…