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How to decide whether desktop Linux makes sense

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Linux

No one in their right mind believes that desktop Linux will replace Windows on business desktops overnight. Not with a current overall market share of 1 percent. But might desktop Linux take hold gradually? In "Desktop Linux: Why it may have lost its chance," Neil McAllister dismisses that possibility. "This kind of hybrid environment requires IT to manage two OSes at the same time -- including user support, software updates, security, backups, and interoperability between the systems. And that drives up support costs." His other main objection is more obvious: Those who use desktop Linux are shut out of Windows applications.

But McAllister concludes on a more sanguine note: Adoption could accelerate as applications and data migrate to the cloud and away from the whole notion of a desktop PC. Running Firefox on Linux and Firefox on Windows is the same user experience.

So why not get a little jumpstart on that future scenario? Most businesses already maintain a "hybrid" environment, thanks to the Mac (not to mention Vista). Whether you run screaming from a new support burden or decide to experiment with desktop Linux in a serious way depends on several factors:

1) Is the expertise to deploy and manage desktop Linux already there? Fat chance you already have anyone dedicated to Linux desktop support. But chances are equally slim that a large IT department lacks someone who is a Microsoft-hating, desktop Linux zealot. If he or she is capable of handling responsibility, that person could be key in making incremental adoption possible.

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