NewsForge: Windows vs. Linux: TCO Feud Rages On

“If you fear the end is near for the entertaining debate over
whether the Windows or Linux desktop is ultimately less expensive,
you can relax. There are enough variables to keep the feud raging
for the foreseeable future.

“The OSes themselves are vastly different, in terms of how they
come to market, how they are developed, and the number of
applications written for them. And their environments are also many
and varied–from large enterprises with operations carried on by
armies of clerical workers to small companies with sophisticated
data analyses performed by highly specialized staff.

“Reconciling all of these elements to identify either operating
system as the one that offers lower TCO for all situations is
impossible. Linux offers a lower TCO in some situations–a lot
lower, according to Aberdeen Group analyst Bill Claybrook. Yet, in
other scenarios, Microsoft is a more cost-effective option, he
noted.

“The final answer ‘depends on what you want to do with it,’
Claybrook told NewsFactor…”

Complete
Story