Windows will not be replaced until...
Mac opens their hardware to other manufactures and lowers their cost.
or
Linux becomes 1 standard platform not a million different companies selling different flavors of the same OS.
its that simple.
Windows is easy for the user to use, and is universally supported by hardware and software mfgs evrywhere.
You can replace a server here and there with linux boxes and get away with it, Bind 9 for DNS and Apache for web servers, but mass substitution cost millions in higher support costs. *nix Administrators cost a heck of a lot more than Windows admins sometimes upwards of 30k a year more.
Then you have the Deer in the Headlights look on the users faces when you switch them to Linux. I did it with 5 test users in my environment. After a week of training and another workin on the red hat machines, the users demanded that I terminate my experiment and bring back XP. I also tried Open Office later, and again the users cried to get their MS office back agian.
You linux folks can moan all you want, but the fact is your never going to win this fight. Your hobbists, have fun with your toys, but people want to turn on a machine and do their job, then turn them off and go home and cut the grass.
I have never ever once heard one of my users say, "Jeeze this Microsoft XP is really insecure, ever thought about trying linux?"
Senior Management is happy with the additional cost of Windows, because they understand, that $200 dollars a seat is nothing compared to the lost productivity that comes with a free (or nearly free) linux license.
Try this... change out all of the QWERTY keyboards for DVORAK (SP?) Keyboards. Then explain to everyone that all te letters are still there and that they can still do their jobs. . . see what happens.
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Windows will not be replaced until... Mac opens their hardware to other manufactures and lowers their cost. or Linux becomes 1 standard platform not a million different companies selling different flavors of the same OS. its that simple. Windows is easy for the user to use, and is universally supported by hardware and software mfgs evrywhere. You can replace a server here and there with linux boxes and get away with it, Bind 9 for DNS and Apache for web servers, but mass substitution cost millions in higher support costs. *nix Administrators cost a heck of a lot more than Windows admins sometimes upwards of 30k a year more. Then you have the Deer in the Headlights look on the users faces when you switch them to Linux. I did it with 5 test users in my environment. After a week of training and another workin on the red hat machines, the users demanded that I terminate my experiment and bring back XP. I also tried Open Office later, and again the users cried to get their MS office back agian. You linux folks can moan all you want, but the fact is your never going to win this fight. Your hobbists, have fun with your toys, but people want to turn on a machine and do their job, then turn them off and go home and cut the grass. I have never ever once heard one of my users say, "Jeeze this Microsoft XP is really insecure, ever thought about trying linux?" Senior Management is happy with the additional cost of Windows, because they understand, that $200 dollars a seat is nothing compared to the lost productivity that comes with a free (or nearly free) linux license. Try this... change out all of the QWERTY keyboards for DVORAK (SP?) Keyboards. Then explain to everyone that all te letters are still there and that they can still do their jobs. . . see what happens.