Well, Vista went on sale here in the UK Yesterday, and the BBC put up a "Have your Say" forum on their site to allow discussion. From comments, it appears that those of us who use Linux will continue to do so. Many Windoze users are talking of jumping ship, as a result of draconian DRM issues, the extreme hardware requirements this bloatware imposes, or just the cost. I see *no-one* suggesting they dump Linux to go to Vista....

Now it's obviously a self-selecting audience that will be contributing to the site, but it brings an interesting issue to the fore: that of a two-tier structure in computing.

IMHO Vista delivers very little that Linux can't, and in many cases, Linux delivers more (Virus resistance/ general security/ speed/ cost/ hardware requirements, etc, etc ad infinitum, ad nauseum). So there is no reason for us to change back to Windows of any type.

However, the common-or-garden variety of Windoze user has no perspective. He pays for his OS, then the money he pays is used against him to deliver sometimes questionable advertising encouraging him to spend more, a vicious (or to William G, virtuous) cycle. It's only when you see the bigger picture and understand there are options (Linux, BSD, MacOS, etc) that you recognize the real situation, but Joe Public will never see the bigger picture because he is paying to have his "vista" (sorry! Pun!) restricted to the Gatesian offering.

What will happen is that the vast majority of the computing public will stay with windoze because either they know no different (Wot's Linux?? ) or because they think Linux is "difficult". So we end up with a large number of folk with a very restricted set of computing skills, and a clique of linux'ers who can and do push the envelope (you want proof, look at this forum)

This is damaging to a county: these days, the weaker the computing skills, it seems, the weaker the economy. There is, however, a light at the proverbial "end of the tunnel", but it may be the train coming the other way.....

The cost of windoze, in both hardware and software, will limit its deployment to wealthy, 1st world countries. The poorer places will use Linux out of need. They will, incidentally, have a better experience, learn how to use computers better, and improve their country competitiveness, albeit in small chunks.

You have to ask why Mr Gates makes the generous offers of discounts for his software in places of restricted wealth...Is he just being a good guy and giving alms to the poor, or is he really trying to maintain the two-tier status of computing, because, just think what would happen to his empire if a very large, developing country "accidentally" proved how good Linux is.

Am I seeing the world through a cynical veil, or rose-tinted spectacles...why is a robust, competent, free OS snubbed in favour of closed, expensive, restrictive software?

The Emperor has no clothes!

Didn't you hear they have a version of Vista specifically designed to be cheap, for the 3rd world countries? It's very restricted version (no ethernet connectability, not many programs can be run at once etc.), but said to be cheap. Well, I guess Linux is cheaper still if you just find cheap hardware, but the only thing that actually limits it's deployment is their ideology: "get a lot of money from the richt, not small money from the poor".

And I don't think Gates is that much in charge anymore. He's doing the wise thing, taking his money out and getting rest. And bear in mind what has happened during the last 100 years; I don't think this "computer inability disease", many people not knowing what to do with computers except using Word with templates, goes on for long. It may feel like a distant future for some of you, but I think it's going to be in the close future when things change; new generation grows every day, and those who are playing with water balloons and sand today are kicking the walking stick from your hand tomorrow -- with something that you remember relates to computers, but that you don't understand since it's too high-tech geeky stuff

Sure thing is that Windows won't rule forever, not like it's doing today. Maybe if it changes itself it won't vanish but surely this game won't be going on till infinity. I wonder, when I grow old enough, if my grandsons laugh at me when I tell them there once existed Microsoft Windows, the operating system of the vast majority. Like we laugh at those who talk about pre-DOS things.

I am pretty sure there will be illegit copies of vista out pretty soon for about 10 bucks a piece max - thats the going rate for xp pro these days.

After all there is a market to loose.Not one that MS makes money from since those people wont buy a legit copy anyway but mindshare.
If all companies that are running illegit xp's and 2000's now would have to cough up the cash to buy legal vista or go somewhere else they'd go somewhere else OSwise.
So basically windows is free (as in beer) too and as long as that is the case those won't switch except for publicity reasons (not nice seeing your company making headlines about software piracy).

MS knows that and they don't want to jeopardise that windows is the de facto desktop standard.

I guess they heard that some hardware is not supported in linux, especially new technologies. This is not linux fault, vendors and manufactures provide installation cd's for windows and mac. Linux has to wait for the linux community to write the kernels and drivers to support specific hardwares. Which is why linux works best with older hardware because these drivers are already written. Hopefully, one day these vendors will see the light and provide linux drivers too.

I have not used windows in 2 years. In fact, the last windows I purchased was windows 98SE.

Linux has worked well for me. So I'm happy with it.