Last but not least — the price of the “operating systems”. Here GNU/Linux and other free of charge systems like BSD family are without competition.

Most Linux distributions are both free as in freedom, as well as free as in beer. Even the cheapest OEM versions of MS Windows systems are priced for about 100$. And buying a new PC with Windows on board we rarely see the price tag as it is included in the selling price. But it should be kept in mind that there are alternative systems to Microsoft products. Many Internet shops and malls started selling personal computers with GNU/Linux preinstalled. Even Dell - one of the world’s biggest PC manufacturers - is equipping its PCs with GNU/Linux lately. PCs without operating systems can be bought as well. We can install Linux by ourselves and use the saved money according to our fancy, e.g. for additional RAM or a ring for our fiancée.

As the price disparity between the two systems is a fact, then the question of TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) is under never ending debate. The most notorious example of the debate is the duplicitous Microsoft advertising campaign Get The Facts focusing mainly on delivering false data about Linux systems (FUD). The answer to the “Get the Facts” are alternative campaigns led by IBM and Novell (among others) and intended to separate the truth from some Linux myths and debunk the tripe about the system.

Certainly the TCO matter concerns medium to big corporations more than home users as they implement Linux or Windows system on a large number of PCs and servers. But surely, also in the case of a home PC the eventual decision to migrate to a new system shouldn’t be taken without consideration of the system’s price and the cost related to learning and administering it. The costs vary a lot depending on the tasks we want to perform on our computer.

One way or another, we learn Windows system only once whereas we have to pay many times if we want to upgrade to newer versions. One expenditure of 100-200 $ in several years for the world’s most popular system seems to be small. But if your home budget is tight I would suggest reconsidering the decision to buy a new Windows version and give a try to one of the free of charge GNU/Linux operating systems. The risk is minimal and being patient we can save quite a bit of money while simultaneously improving security, comfort, and effectiveness of our home system.