A fierce debate, between Bob Young (founder and chairman of Red Hat) and Jim Allmouth (senior vice president of PHMs at a large monopoly software firm), over whether open source software really is un-American.

The community that has developed has had a substantial impact on the industry, and has also created a ground-breaking alternative professional environment where the work itself is more important than profits or pay cheques. Developers face a stark choice between the fat salaries major companies offer and working for little but their ideals, yet many still opt for the latter.

According to Dennis Powell, sometimes yesterday's software is best for yesterday's hardware. Here he explains why he is of the opinion that Linux distributions can no longer claim to run on minimal hardware.

The results indicate that stability is a primary motivator among existing Linux users, with 46% citing stability of Linux as an "outstanding asset," as compared to 13% of Microsoft Windows users claiming the same about their OS of choice. Also on the whole, surveyed Windows users associated "stability" more often with Linux than they did Windows.

The tools and documentation for serious server work are missing. In six manuals and nearly 1,000 pages of documentation, there is virtually no information on Apache, Sendmail and Samba. As a desktop operating system, this product would be a good fit only for Microsoft haters and cash-strapped companies installing systems for the first time.

Open source is much more than Linux. The melding of the open-source development model and a capitalist economy will bring the most exciting changes to computing that we've ever witnessed. The first change we'll see is investment in open-source technology that's based on solutions and not an operating system.

"Please don't stop reading if you are not interested in Linux—this column is written just for you. The best way to bring the magic of computers back is to learn to use Linux. I'll show you a fool-proof way to learn Linux on the cheap."

"I could follow the hype and chant about how Linux will save the world, or suggest that Bill Gates is the devil. Unfortunately, hype cannot run businesses. Linux is certainly not bad; it's simply a fledgling technology looking much like a five-pound baby gorilla."

When asked what he thought of IBM's huge investment in Linux, Ballmer said, "It will have an impact, but Linux is a toy." By IBM supporting Linux well then it is not a toy. But does that mean IBM and Linux will carry the day? No way.

With the range of Linux applications available, Linux is becoming increasingly popular for use in e-com front-ends running DNS servers, mail servers, proxy servers, caching servers and even server appliances like Cobalt's RaQ and Qube servers. As Linux benefits most enterprises, it will not fade away, much to Microsoft's chargin.