March 29, 2004

A Small Business Guide to Linux on the Desktop

Smallbusinesscomputing.com: The Open Source community is loudly proclaiming that the Linux desktop is ready for prime time. As a result, many small businesses are considering the move, hoping the switch will mean that with a miniscule investment in software, they can run much of their company on Linux.

Here, then, are a few of the pros and cons of a possible move to the Linux desktop.

Free Isn't A Bargain

Free software sounds good, but it is not always the cheapest way to go on Linux, particularly for small businesses. Most business people, after all, have more productive ways to spend their days and nights than struggling to learn the technical details of an unfamiliar and sometimes technical operating system (define) as would-be users attempt to download it from one of the many free Linux download sites. Perhaps the most apparently economical route, though, isn't the cheapest. By spending a little money on software, there are many vendors who offer easy-to-use Linux desktops along with plenty of support. (full story)

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