And yet the use of Linux is not restricted to just poorer countries. The article also notes that the US military is the largest user of Red Hat Linux. So we’re seeing Linux taking its place even among what many regard as the wealthier or more developed nations.
But cost is only part of the equation here. Choice is also a big part of this. Proprietary operating systems like Windows or OS X also impose certain things on countries that Linux does not. A nation that implements Linux also gains almost total control over the computing experience in a way that is simply not possible with proprietary software.