So.  The Linux World Expo.  I decided that as an ASP Developer and programmer that I should get to the Linux World Expo to see what's in happening in the Linux market.  I have been working with Linux for a few years on and off but nothing extremely serious.  It always seemed that Linux was for the server people.

Well, guess what!  The times are a changing.  It seems that when I entered the room that I hadn't seen this many computer based corporate sponsors in my life.  Everyone from IBM, RedHat, SuSE, SCO, Sun Microsystems and more!  It so turns out that a turn of the tides has come with the wave of anti-Microsoft activity going on.

Incase you didn't know Linux has many different flavors such as, Red Hat Linux, SuSe Linux and SCO Linux just to name a few.  All of the distributions are free on the Internet for ANYONE to download.  Why free?  Because Linux is considered Open Source.  Open Source means that anyone how wants the source code can have it!  Yup! Even You!  So what this means is that an extremely refined product makes it to the market.  Tested by tons of developers before ever making it to your hands.

The tactic of Open Source has worked so well that even the software giant themselves have gone from calling Open Source technology the "Cancer" of the computer to embracing it themselves.  Seems they are getting a run for there money . . .

Continuing to walk around the large auditorium at the Jacob Javits Center in great New York City I ended up asking myself, how can I use Linux?  See, I use a lot of Windows based programs.  Such as Macromedia, Adobe and Office.  Soon after I found myself talking to the guys at SuSE who have developed their version of Linux just for people like me!  Currently SuSE allows you to install Microsoft Office just like you would on your Windows machine.  They are even developing it to handle the whole Adobe and Macromedia suits!

When you have major branded companies like IBM, Sun Microsystems, Red Hat, AMD, Intel and more pushing these products with billions in revenue how can you go wrong?

It seems that the time that everyone thought would never happen is finally upon us!  Get those Windows desktops ready for the change to a more stable, user friendly and cost effective Operating System.

Andrew J Durstewitz