Sorry, but Windows doesn't rule because it's a superior platform. It rules because there's one vendor, with powerful finances, that has OEM relationships with all major manufacturers. Even Apple is now delivering Macs with Windows pre-installed. Linux, with dozens of competing distros and weak OEM support will never match that. And I'm a Debian user, folks. The same thing that makes Linux such a success among developers and enthusiasts is the very thing that will prevent it from every being packaged as an OEM system...freedom to do whatever the hell you want with it, freedom to make as many versions as possible. Vendors don't want to support dozens of distros. They want one, single business to deal with, one single standard. Not multiple desktop managers, distros, or toolsets. Microsoft and Apple have the benefit of absolutely controlling their platforms. That's what OEM's want. When Red Hat decided to focus exclusively on the business server market, any hope of corporate supported mass market Linux died.
Of course not MS has always been yesterdays technology but with a great business plan
Linux, with dozens of competing distros and weak OEM support will never match that.
Nobody is expecting Linux to have a huge market share but MS's blunders in the creation of vista will help Linux greatly. That and the fact I (1) Dont want to run different desktop operating systems and (2) I cant afford to upgrade the hardware to every desktop in the company leaves me with the following, I have to seriously look at Linux on the desktop if for no other reason than to run a transparent RDP to a terminal server..
.freedom to do whatever the hell you want with it, freedom to make as many versions as possible. Vendors don't want to support dozens of distros.
You are implying Dell / HP or an application vendor has to support all distros if the support any, this is not true. Dell only sells RedHat servers they wont support Debain
Whoa, Apple isn't going that far. Anyone can download the Boot Camp software for free, but buying a copy of Win XP and installing it is entirely up to the end user. And Apple provides zero support for Boot Camp.