“A big part of what gives the computing world its dynamic
landscape is the fact that empires can spring from one person’s
idea. Microsoft, Yahoo, America Online and other industry leaders
can be traced to humble origins, often to a college student sitting
in front of a computer late at night.”
“From a similar humble beginning at Finland’s University of
Helsinki came one of the most impressive Internet efforts ever
seen: the Linux operating system. In 1991, then-student Linus
Torvalds began development of a new UNIX-like OS that would run on
PC-compatible machines. Because the source code was opened to the
public domain, an ever-growing worldwide network of developers has
been able to improve upon it ever since.”
“Although some small computer vendors will preinstall Linux, the
big retailers are still primarily Microsoft shops. But Ball says
signs point to a day when users will be able to buy retail Linux
computers. The reason: the sheer economy of a free operating
system.”