Windows users face as many choices as Linux users

“When I want to install Windows or Linux, I can opt for support
by a company, or not. If I want support for Windows, I have to buy
it from Microsoft or one of their resellers. When I want support
for Linux, I have to buy it from RedHat, Novell, Oracle or
Canonical.

“When defining a distribution as a ‘collection of software’,
Microsoft offers different distributions of Windows for different
goals. Microsoft offers ten different Windows distributions for
servers, called Windows 2008, and six distributions for desktops,
called ‘7’. If I want, I can still buy the older six distributions
of Windows Vista.

“Those distributions are aimed at different needs: Microsoft has
a software collection for netbooks, another for developing
countries, one for enthusiasts and small businesses, one for the
family, one distribution with all those features included, and one
for large enterprises – which has its own distribution channel.
Because of a requirement of the EU, all those have a distribution
with or without Windows Media Player. The cheaper versions have
different distributions per language.”

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