“Generally speaking, most of the hype regarding Linux
compares its abilities to run a given task against other operating
systems doing the same thing. This is certainly a valid
perspective, but it doesn’t really take into account one of Linux’s
biggest plusses: its amazing flexibility. For comparison,
Windows NT, and especially Windows 2000, have many stratifications
— desktop, server, enterprise, etc. While there are certainly
different versions of Linux, tweaked to different tasks, the core
of ALL Linux is derived from the same kernel. For specifically this
reason, any given feature can be added to any given distribution;
this can run the full gamut, including multiprocessor
functionality, modifications for high-end web serving, and
journaling filesystems.”
“There is another side, though: in addition to kernel
modifications to increase performance, there are also high-level,
user-targeted differences. Examples would include nifty abilities
such as file sharing for Unix and Windows clients, and even
“regular” client-side applications like word processors.”