Linux still has shortcomings. Rory Hudson, retail systems manager for Zumiez Inc., a retailer with 100 stores, deployed PCs running Linux in stores so managers can access a company intranet and Linux-based E-mail and spreadsheets for financial reporting. But he's keeping Windows at headquarters to do some of the company's more-complicated PC-based work. "We wouldn't consider switching off of Windows, because we have advanced spreadsheets and Excel handles those really well," Hudson says. "We've found a really good niche for each operating system." That includes Apple Macintoshes for the company's graphic designers.

Aberdeen analyst Claybrook has his own Linux experience. He dabbled with the open-source system on his desktop but dropped it because some document formatting was lost when files were sent to a Windows machine. "We have a specific format that we need to follow when we send reports, so I couldn't afford those discrepancies," Claybrook says.

Laptop users also face challenges. "Laptops are tougher to run Linux on because they've got more proprietary devices, and not very many are designed for Linux," Prince says. "It's doable, but it's a lot of work."

Some business-technology executives are just getting comfortable with running Linux on their servers, where it has something of a track record for value and performance; Linux on the desktop isn't even in the planning stages. PNC Bank is evaluating whether to move some servers to Linux and plans a limited test this year. The bank is confident it can lower costs and increase performance using Linux. But it isn't even considering a desktop change. "We don't really have a need for faster performance at the desktop level, so there's not the same push to evaluate Linux on the desktop," a spokeswoman says.

For those who choose to take the plunge, however, there are savings to be had. Zumiez's Hudson says that running either Windows or Unix on point-of-sale computers in all stores would have cost about $1,000 per store. Zumiez went with free Linux systems for the 19 stores it opened last year. Sun's StarOffice suite lists at $50 per machine for 125 users, to $25 for 10,000; that compares with an average price of about $400 for Office.

Ernie Ball Inc. turned to Linux out of crisis more than cost savings. Three years ago, the global manufacturer of guitar strings was slammed by the Business Software Alliance for running more copies of Windows than the company had paid for. Then there were the pirated copies of software from Autodesk Inc. and FileMaker Inc. It was the spark that turned Ernie Ball into a Linux hot spot. "We had 120 days to comply with the BSA, and we complied by throwing everything out," says Jeff Whitmore, an IT manager at Ernie Ball.

The company operates almost all of its business on open-source software, including Red Hat Linux on its desktops and servers, StarOffice on PCs, and E-mail from Ximian. Whitmore says the company spent about $20,000 to make the switch and cut $80,000 to $100,000 a year from its IT budget. With a little more than 70 users, the IT staff handled training on the fly. "There wasn't a lot of training involved, and we just handled questions from users as they popped up," he says.

For now, Microsoft commands more than 90% of the desktop market, and most users seem comfortable with what its productivity apps cost for what they deliver. With its upcoming Office suite, Microsoft will try to pull further ahead of competitors. That leaves only a little wiggle room for Linux, as it battles the inertia of an installed base.

Photo by Alice Wheeler