It is such a pity that average users are so far from developing these attitudes where BIG M$ is concerned...
I think that consumers are learning that options exist to Microsoft if they really want one. There's always been Apple. Vista has also created a lot of interest in Desktop Linux, due to it's cost (in most cases, free as in beer), and it's ability to run well on older computers. (A default installation of Ubuntu as an example, runs like a champ on 256 meg of RAM.)
Dual booting has been a hot topic on a lot of forums, and there also seems to be a greater awareness of other open source programs, such as OOo as an alternative to MS Office.
I think the biggest drawback to Linux in many people's minds, is the vast array of options available with the various distributions. Choice is good, but I think they've been accustomed to having the one size fits all business model of MS and other closed source providers for a long time.
For many average users, it would be hard to make a choice, and then to make the jump. And of course, there's the issue of "pull throughs" for MS when people buy a new computer.
After Microsoft issues an SP1 service pack, I think that Vista will be very good, and from the hints were getting on where they are going with their next generation OS, that one will be a great one.
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