Gartner claims there are eight Linux desktop myths

AT A PRESENTATION here in Barcelona, a Gartner analyst gave out details of the “Mythical Penguicorn”, that is to say eight myths of Linux on the desktop.

We will list the myths Federica Troni, a senior Gartner analyst, told the hundreds of PC system builders here at the conference.

1 Linux will be cheaper than Windows because StarOffice can be used instead of MS Office
2 Linux is free
3 No forced upgrades
4 Linux will require significantly less labour to manage
5 Linux will have a lower total cost of ownership than Windows because of available management tools
6 Hardware will be able to be kept longer if Linux is used or holder hardware can be used
7 Applications will be cheap or free
8 Transferable skills

Why are these myths? Federica produced a table which outlines the total cost of ownership, based on a 2,500 user environment with a mixed user base of one per cent high performance users, 20% knowledge workers, 74% structured task workers and 5% data entry workers.

This table indeed shows that Linux does appear to have a total cost of ownership far less than for Windows based products - for example Windows XP TCO is calculated at $5,319, Windows XP/SO at $6,103, Linux at $5,481 and Linux Locked at $4,556. Sorry, we do not know what Linux Locked is.

But, claims the analyst, these figures are for unmanaged systems. The true cost has to be the cost of migration cost to Linux including application development for Windows.

Direct Linux costs for knowledge workers, including direct and indirect costs, comes to $6,310 (direct) and $652 (indirect), giving a total cost of $6,962 per worker, claims Gartner.

That means, claimed Troni, that Linux will only come to be on the desktop if Windows app compatibility improves, porting costs for legacy apps decline, the development community assumes a more commercial focus, and Microsoft fails to respond by changing pricing or reducing user resentment.

So, concluded the analyst, the system builders needed to help their customers to cut through the “hype” surrounding Linux on the desktop, and support them in making decisions based on user type, application requirements, and cost benefit analysis.

Funnily enough, Microsoft demonstrated Office 2003 here at the System Builder Summit today, and over lunch quite a few of the attendees wondered just why they were being locked in on support from Microsoft and would have to start paying again big time two years down the line.