“Despite Linux’s underdog appeal and expanding share of the
server market, using the Unix clone as a desktop operating system
has until now been strictly for geeks. Linux has never been able to
match Windows 98’s nearly hands-free installation, encyclopedic
Plug and Play hardware support, and cadre of available
applications.”
“But two new versions from Caldera and Red Hat make the upstart
OS a reasonable alternative for the rest of us. Both offer improved
installation programs, broader hardware support, and new graphical
interfaces that bear a striking resemblance to Windows. And
compared to Windows, Linux costs almost nothing. The Caldera and
Red Hat bundles list for between $40 and $50 each, but they include
the OS and hundreds of applications; the base OS itself is
available as a free download from hundreds of Web sites.”
“The advent of these kinder, gentler Linuxes is just one more
indication that the alternative OS is on a roll. This year IBM,
Compaq, and Dell have all announced that they’ll install and
support Red Hat Linux on desktop computers. Market research firm
International Data Corporation says commercial Linux shipments will
grow at a rate of 25 percent per year through 2003, compared to 10
percent per year for all other desktop operating systems
combined.”