Beware The Windows Comparison FallacyBeware The Windows Comparison Fallacy

Head-to-head comparisons between Windows and Linux face the danger of falling in to a common fallacy: People making those comparisons often judge Linux solely on the basis of what Windows is good at, and they fail to compare the two operating systems on Linux's strengths.

It's true that Windows has a greater breadth of application and device support. But Linux is less expensive, and is more flexible. It's better suited to embedded systems and service worker's devices. Linux is also not controlled by a single, American company, which is a big plus for international computer users, especially those in the Third World.

It may well be quite some time before huge numbers of existing Windows desktops get replaced by Linux, but Linux is seeing widespread desktop deployment in new applications, such as point-of-sale systems.

Readers took a couple of Linux Pipeline writers to task recently for losing sight of those issues. First, columnist Fred Langa describes some of the mail he received in response to a recent column complaining that Linux is incompatible with many common sound cards. He notes that Linux vendors themselves are often the first to fall into the Windows comparison fallacy, charging Windows prices for Linux desktops, and thus undercutting one of Linux's main advantages, its low cost.

And readers also took Yours Truly to task for my despairing outlook on Linux's desktop future.