This paper surveys
Linux's suitability for use by owners of very small businesses and the self-employed. It was written by Howard Fosdick, a self-employed database consultant who finds
Linux fairly well-suited to his needs, and reckons it has saved him thousands of dollars in recent years.
Fosdick strives for objectivity, but it's clear that he's a convert to Linux. After a point-by-point look at Linux's compatibility, functionality, reliability, ease-of-use, and other criteria, he concludes that Linux is more than up to meeting the needs of small business owners.
The picture is not completely rosy, however, as Fosdick worries that Microsoft's ever more obfuscated file formats will
make it difficult for Linux to achieve adequate document-level compatibility. Business owners need to be able to share documents with Windows users. In particular, Fosdick advocates for OpenOffice.org to add support for Microsoft Office's new OOXML formats.
The article includes many great observations, and dozens of links to interesting online resources for further study. Click below to read it in full.
Running A Business on Desktop Linux
