Linux costs 30 per cent less than Windows

OPERATING SYSTEM Linux has a total cost of ownership that is nearly a third cheaper than Windows, according to an independent study.

The study, by Research and Markets, claims to provide a more detailed total cost of ownership calculation than previous efforts.

The study points towards savings potentials up to 30% depending on the application, including commonly used office applications.

The report also suggests that licence and operating costs savings turned open source into a genuine alternative.

It identifies that large enterprises or public authorities can profit the most by moving to open source and predicts that it will spread substantially through enterprises and public authorities.

The study flies in the fact of an earlier pro-Microsoft study by IDC which is much touted by the spinsters in the Lair of the Vole in Redmond, which claimed that Linux was more expensive than Windows.

The Open Source Industry Australia said that it was particularly pleased the report slapped down the IDC TCO report which was funded by Microsoft.

A spokesman said that having Microsoft tell us that their products have lower TCO is like them telling us that the Earth is flat.

"Right-thinking CIOs know that Linux and open source software result in lower costs and are not likely to be hoodwinked by verbalsleight-of-hand or spurious, vendor-manipulated TCO studies."

The Research and Markets report can be found here. µ