Consumers interested in moving away from the Windows operating system could come to see Linux as a viable alternative -- if it can support their need for Internet access, e-mail and access to Web-based applications, he said. And it could gain popularity among users hoping for a more secure alternative to Windows, he said.

Developers of platform-neutral software such as Java-based applications and Web services might also come to favor Linux over Windows -- if it allows them to create those applications using appropriate tools and if the price is right, he said.

By Todd R. Weiss and Linda Rosencrance at Computerworld.

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