"The Linux factor is significant here. Your current
hardware (before the Vista upgrade) is sufficient to run any
desktop Linux distribution. The shock and awe you'd experience
breathing new life into these systems with Linux is worth every
penny you didn't spend.
"Do you ever tire of software upgrade madness? Every two years
or so, you have to upgrade your major applications because -- well,
just because. Software upgrades are often accompanied by hardware
upgrades (see previous section) when you find out that the latest
version of an application needs twice the amount of memory that
your current computer has. Software costs can send your budget into
cardiac arrest, but there's hope in using free applications; even
on Windows, you can enjoy the freedom of free software. That dirty
word, free, is a factor when tallying up the price tag for a new
version of Microsoft Office for everyone in your company.
OpenOffice.org starts to look pretty good compared to at least $200
a pop for a Microsoft Office upgrade."
