Linux vs. Windows XP: A Small Business Deployment Cost Analysis

Introduction.
The purpose of this paper is to present the financial and business advantages of using Linux, an open source operating system vs. Windows XP, a Microsoft closed source operating system, on small business' desktop computers. It is my recommendation that it can be cost effective for a small business to use Linux as its operating system of choice. In the course of my study I considered the following factors:
-Cost
-Performance
-Reliability
-Scalability
-Usability
-Security
Linux is the second most sold(9) and the fastest growing server operating system today.(1) …