@iMav
strangely, the fact that they CAN be altered is why corporates use them. Now don't tell me that vista comes altered for google's or wipro's use. Linux is altered to a large extent already, and if you want more, just DIY or Hire someone to DIFY. With a large company, you still save a lot of bucks.
@gx_saurav
1. we use their products a lot, FYI
2. ok, edit: it can use lesser ram if you use the right distro.
3. what I ment was that linux has, can have in built drivers for different perposes. ever heard of ALSA? X? ok, these are not kernel level, but certainly system leavel.
4. Non standards? you are joking right? linux is starting to become the in thing now. several companies are embracing linux. its not too far off before adobe & co start embracing it too. They added flash player and adobe reader for linux for a reason. The same reason why nero made nero digital audio available for linux. things are just starting now.
5. most of them. The OS part, its really good. The rest, its as good as the software. I can't name softwares, due to lack of intrest in them.(the way you talk, asthough dreamweaver, maya, etc are a part and parcel of windows)
6. thats one point I wont counter. concider yourself and my fingers lucky
7. that part is also already argued by many. It all comes down to this: software is free => software is more accessible => more will use it legally.
and yes, I never said mac was bad. Mac OS is really good, but it still has some bugs due to the slightly unwise alterations Apple made to FreeBSD that makes up darwin, MAC OS' core. This is why it can still get some type of viruses. And yes, as an Indian, the country whose mentality is to us pirated software if they are not free, I chose Linux because of programming intrest and functionality, not due to its freeness. Its just the icing on the cake.
8. thats the point, isn't it? M$ is all about $. You need to give $ to M$ to do something with windows that only makes windows better. As in the previous point, you only ended up showing the people how valid my points are.
PS: I appritiate the way you cling on to windows in your appriciation, saurav. You must be an excellent debater, to try to make points out of nothing at all, and presenting them decently.