[Fsf-friends] Linux Desktop Myths Exploded

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STUDY:
Linux Desktop Myths Exploded

By James Maguire
NewsFactor Network
May 05, 2003
http://www.newsfactor.com/perl/story/21431.html

Hype about Linux on the desktop is increasing, according to Gartner's recen=
t study, "Myths of Linux on the Desktop." The goal of the research was to e=
nable enterprises to be objective in understanding the benefits of the Linu=
x OS on the desktop, separating open-source fact from fiction.=20

"I want to stress that I didn't mean to be negative about Linux," Gartner a=
nalyst Michael Silver, the report's author, told NewsFactor. Linux's approp=
riateness for any given population has a lot to do with the specifics of ea=
ch business' environment and its architectures of applications in use, he s=
aid.=20

To understand the real benefits, enterprises need to realize that some comm=
on assertions will prove to be myths, Silver says.=20

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"Supported versions of Linux are not free," Gartner analyst Michael Silver =
notes. Consumer versions of Linux are basically free, but "enterprises that=
 require vendor support for their client OS will need to pay for it."=20
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Myth: Linux Will Be Less Expensive=20

Many Linux proponents argue that using Linux instead of Windows saves a sub=
stantial chunk of change because StarOffice/OpenOffice.org then can be used=
 instead of Microsoft Office.=20

"This is a bad argument," says Silver, because "StarOffice and OpenOffice.o=
rg can run fine on Windows." He noted that if users believe they will save =
money running StarOffice instead of Microsoft Office, they can run it on th=
eir current version of Windows without spending a fortune to migrate all of=
 their applications to a new platform.=20

Myth: Linux Is Free=20

"Supported versions of Linux are not free," Silver notes. Consumer versions=
 of Linux are basically free, but "enterprises that require vendor support =
for their client OS will need to pay for it." While these costs may work ou=
t to be less than the cost of a Windows license and support, they need to b=
e understood.=20

Many free, open-source applications ship with Linux distributions, but Silv=
er raises this question: Are they the applications the enterprise needs? "T=
hus far, we have not heard of open-source movements to replace large enterp=
rise resource planning systems ... and most current vendors do not charge l=
ess for a Linux user than a Windows user."=20

Myth: Linux Means No Forced Upgrades=20

"Many users complain that Microsoft forces them to upgrade to newer release=
s of Windows," Silver wrote. "However, we believe that things will not be t=
hat much different in a Linux environment."=20

Linux vendors only support their consumer releases (and free distributions)=
 for a maximum of two years, Silver noted.=20

"Linux independent software vendors realize that they cannot support their =
products on every version of Linux that has or will ever ship," the report =
says. "So while there will always be the option of support from the open so=
urce community ... we believe Linux users will feel forced to move to newer=
 releases of Linux just as Windows users feel forced to upgrade to new vers=
ions of Windows."=20

Myth: Linux Management Is Easier=20

Significant reductions in staffing are not likely to be achieved "simply by=
 switching OSes without changing policies, lockdown or the degree of manage=
ment tool implementation," according to Silver.=20

He notes that from a software break/fix perspective, many support calls are=
 due to users doing something that misconfigures their system.=20

He expects Linux to have a slight edge over Windows for three reasons: 1) t=
he existence of fewer viruses targeting Linux desktops; 2) fewer problems c=
aused by conflicting applications; and 3) difficulty of understanding and r=
epairing the Window registry. Since Linux is purely file-based, administrat=
ors may be able to troubleshoot application problems more easily.=20

Myth: Linux Has a Lower TCO=20

Management tools have been available for Windows for years, Silver observed=
, but many enterprises still have not been able to manage their Windows env=
ironment. This has often been due to too much complexity, lack of sufficien=
t policies or standards, or cultural and political issues, according to Sil=
ver.=20

If this is true with Windows, "we see little reason to believe that the cul=
tural or political issues will change just because the enterprise is now us=
ing Linux," he observes.=20

Myth: Linux Means Longer Hardware Life=20

"It is true that a three- or four-year-old PC that is not powerful enough t=
o run Windows XP and Office XP may be able to run Linux and StarOffice," Si=
lver says. "However, enterprises need to budget for some additional costs t=
o maintain older PCs."=20

He points out that a new PC bought with Linux today with a goal of a six- t=
o eight-year lifespan likely will require an expenditure for at least one O=
S upgrade during that time.=20

Furthermore, "enterprises should realize that if they buy two different mod=
el notebooks and two different model desktops and keep their PCs for four y=
ears, they will have 16 different varieties of hardware to manage," the rep=
ort says, and more varieties of hardware and software will be more difficul=
t and expensive to manage.=20

Myth: Skills Are Transferable=20

"Although Unix skills are transferable to Linux, Windows skills are not as =
similar," Silver observes, noting that "most enterprises' Unix skills today=
 exist in a server-oriented department in the IT reporting structure, which=
 is usually separate from the desktop support group."=20

Enterprises should consider whether their current structure will prevent th=
em from leveraging skills across desktops and servers, Silver advises.=20

Bottom Line=20

The bottom line is that Silver sees some cost savings in migrating to the L=
inux desktop but says the move "will probably not eliminate all of the cost=
s the enterprises expects."=20

But there is undisputedly healthy market interest in this migration. Signif=
icant sales growth is expected within a three- to five-year time frame, acc=
ording to Forrester analyst Ted Schadler.=20

There are a number of market segments for the Linux desktop, he told NewsFa=
ctor, including Asian and Eastern European governments that want an alterna=
tive to Microsoft; direct point-of-sale Linux PCs -- what Schadler calls "t=
he dedicated desktop"; and small enterprises. =20


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