Any standard is better than no standard at all is a mantra that many veterans in the technology industry have learnt through bitter experience. And for this reason, however much you may hate the security vulnerabilities, unnecessary features and general unreliability, there is at least one benefit to having Windows on your desktop PC.

Because Windows is the default operating system installed on the vast majority of PCs and laptops, whether destined for the office or the home, virtually every employee in the world already knows how to use it with some degree of competence. This also means that training costs are either minimal or non-existent.

The ubiquity of Windows also makes it the primary target for software developers. Therefore, any IT manager looking for a new application can be fairly certain that if they deploy Windows, they will be able to get their hands on the tools they are looking for and will have few problems installing or supporting them.

All of this means that though a casual observer might back the underdog and expect Linux to make a significant dent in Microsoft?s market share in desktop PCs and workstations, there are good reasons to suggest the open-source platform will continue to fight a steep uphill battle.

Novell first threw its weight behind Linux four years ago, but the networking specialist has now broadened its portfolio to offer Linux desktop suites for both small and large businesses, as well as an open-source server platform to rival the once-mighty NetWare.

Building Linux into server operating systems that are used directly only by experienced IT staff is one thing because this type of user is generally more open to trying out new technology. But deploying Linux and Linux-based applications on the desktop PCs of staff, who have been using Windows for most of their working lives, is something very different. Any money that a Linux desktop suite can save in terms of licensing and maintenance compared with Windows must be offset against the cost of training people to use the new operating system and associated software.

Then there is the reduction in business efficiency that will inevitably occur as employees struggle to get to grips with the new platform. This price must also be taken into account.

There is also the question of whether the specific software required by many large organisations is even available for Linux in the first place. But the open-source community is trying to encourage developers to create more Linux software to reduce this shortcoming.

For its part, Novell is giving developers access to its distribution channel in a bid to make it easier and cheaper for them to get finished Linux open-source applications onto the market. How much this will do to spread the open-source creed, only time will tell. Apart from the Windows fanatics, most computer users will be cheering on the challenger from the sidelines, at least.