Legal Times: How to End Microsoft’s Monopoly

“The federal government, with its huge base of personal
computers, could make the open source Linux a viable contender to
Windows simply by licensing and using it. But this is easier said
than done. Indeed, Linux appears to have only a miniscule share of
the federal personal computer market. There are reasons for this.

First and foremost is the fact that Microsoft Windows is a
strong brand. Even if Windows were not technically the best
operating system, its ubiquity and brand name make it difficult for
other operating systems to command attention from federal agencies.
Pity the poor federal manager who installs Linux on a hundred
computers only to have them crash. His job might be on the line —
but probably would not be if the crash had happened with
Windows.

Along the same lines, Windows enjoys the advantage that the
government prefers to use the same operating system in all
agencies, so that workers don’t have to be retrained when they
change offices or departments.

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