There are at least 6 or 7 companies that I know of that have their own version of linux. It is only a matter of time before each company adds their own proprietary features (or "enhancements") that render each version incompatible with each other.

That will mean your apps may not work across each flavor of linux. That will drive away developers. Microsoft has the spiral effect -- developers write software for windows because it is easier, and people buy windows software (which of course requires windows) because there is software.

Linux is not free if you have to spend countless hours of your time trying to configure the damn thing. How much is your time worth? Nothing? If your time is worth nothing, then Linux is free. Also, the companies are still making money off of linux, charging $$$ for an "official" CD and manual. Of course you can download it, but how many people do you really think downloaded the whole thing? And the time it took? was that free time also?

Linux, as it is, is a nice statement, but open source just does not work at a large scale. Companies will not invest millions in something just for the good of mankind, they want return on investment, and they will get it from linux users.

Do you think Joe Blow will want linux on his machine? Joe Blow wants to surf for internet porn while chatting with his AOL buddies: using windows. The majority of users out there are Joe Blows, and Joe Blow will not install linux. Joe Blow will choose Windows over Linux almost every time, and Linux must appeal to Joe Blow to be more than a too-little too-late operating system.

Look at Unix -- that has been around for 20-30 years, the market got splintered, and is now being killed by Microsoft.

The users will not follow until the apps do, and the app developers won't develop apps that can only be used by a fraction of their intended audiences. This situation is a downward spiral, and we know that is not good.

I had an open mind before trying Linux, but the combination of frustration and data loss made me a bit upset (not that I'm a stupid guy, just impatient), but my reasoning seems logical: Linux has no chance of taking over

Please convince me otherwise, I don't like a monopoly (M$) any more than the next guy, and would love a reason to support Linux besides the fact that it was not overseen by Bill Gates.

Thanks

Tom