Microsoft proclaimed in 2002 that the "era of 'open computing...'" was "...coming to an end". Just like their proclamations about the Internet 'fad', they could not have been more wrong...

This engaging and insightful eight-part series by Kim Brebach, a consultant with an Australian technology marketing group, explores the suitability of desktop Linux for ordinary computer users. Follow Brebach's often-amusing foils and fumbles as he investigates a veritable alphabet soup of Linux distributions -- from Damn Small Linux to Zenwalk.

Local newspapers and magazines are beginning to take a strong interest in GNU/Linux and Free Software. Don't be surprised if you see the venerable old `GNU' smiling at you when you open your newspaper

"When we started with Firefox, our 20% [market share] was not an affordable dream. We dreamed of making that. We are fighting so people have a choice: it's very important to have market share so that web developers don't design sites specifically for Internet Explorer. Developing a website for just one browser is stupid."

"...Remember that Ubuntu is built on Community and Community is the number one reason why it is successful. People like me and you building upon the shoulders of giants. Lets continue to improve the communities around us, celebrating what makes us all unique. Without Ubuntu and without community we are nothing."

So Mozilla has hit the 400 million downloads magic number, well whoopy doo, so what? The important thing is market share, and I don't see Mozilla jumping up and down yelling 'we have 8 percent, we have 8 percent' in fact in the posting they quote the Europe only figure of 28 percent which looks a lot better.

Although I certainly respect Bill and Melinda Gates for what they do (how many billionaires do you see doing the charitable works they have been doing?), they and Microsoft are not the only ones working towards this goal.