In the quest to continually move forward... Microsoft has begun to Virtualize Linux. The purpose is to allow a microsoft server to act as a platform for developing/testing applications for Linux. While this might seem counterproductive for the Windows giant... it does have it's positive sides. For example, you wouldn't have to run a Linux desktop on a regular basis to develop somethinig or use something that is on a linux desktop. Instead, you would run virtual server and work with Linux from there. Ballmer: Microsoft Will Virtualize Linux.

What does this mean for Linux?
Well... quite frankly it means that projects such as WINE (wine is not an emulator) need to ramp up their efforts to get more and more products working on the Linux platform. Additionally, more efforts such as the live-cd distributions need to get rolling. The UI needs to be further polished to allow for an easier transition to Linux from Windows/MacOS. Linux needs a "MS-Bob" type distribution. Linux needs a distribution that a regular user can put in a CD (and perhaps a floppy to ensure that they don't have to mess w/ BIOS boot options) and go through a series of tutorials that would teach them everything that they need know to:

• Send an email
• Visit websites
• Write an occassional letter
• Send Instant Messages
  

These are all that the average home user does. All of these things can be easily accomplished using each of the OSes. However, you have to "figure it out". Most users just don't care enough to switch (which is a hassle to begin with) AND go to the trouble of "figuring it out." If Linux brains could put together something that was easy enough to:

1. Insert and try...
   We gotta try before we buy, right?
   
2. Learn everything I "need to know" in 30 minutes or less...
   If it takes longer, I'm going back to what I already know.
   
3. Click to install...
   If I can launch and try... but it takes me 3 hours to "do it from a hard drive" instead of a Live-CD... that's no good.

Now, don't get me wrong. When my windows desktop fails me or I'm in the mood for something different... I know enough Linux to get me setup on the network and plugging away at my code and running things on the Internet... when I say "I"... I mean... the grandma/pa types. However, I'm interested in seeing the computer industry turn the corner. I don't want to have to spend $500 to have an office suite on my computer. If more of the masses gravitate towards open source and everybody can truly make use of it... and everybody just puts a little bit back into it (if you're not a programmer... contribute $! or evangelize!) it would continue to grow in quality and adoption.

Alright... my comments are beginning to lose focus and I suspect that my "hold-time" (on the phone, on hold w/ Capital-One) that I've been using to write this post is about to expire (they might come back soon). So... click