Linux or BSD as a server is generally a good idea for one reason STANDARDS. Microsoft calls what it does a standard but never writes down anywhere how to let others work with it. Even old stuff that they made but no longer sell is non-standard to them. The desktop Linux computer is not quite there yet. You have to be honest an tell your convert that. You need to look at Windows 2k and XP before you complain about crashes and memory usage. They use about the same memory as KDE and if you have good apps they will stay up for days or weeks with no problem, by then you will have to download another Windows patch and have to reboot anyway. You have to load soo many tools to protect Windows because it is generally a poorly administrated box, it is too common for the logged in user to have full administrator rights. Windows has a "runas" tool that is similar to Linux su every user needs to be taught how to use it. Running without anti-virus tools is suicide expecially if you use that virus spreader called Outlook (lookout). Windows XP comes with a personal firewall tool and it should be used considering how weak the security model of Windows is. Every Windows box need to be patched and up to date too many lazy IT staffs say that we are safe behind the firewall. All it would take is one virus in a LAN with unpatched Windows boxes to go wild and take down the company. In short if you administer a Windows box the way you have to to protect against all the Windows attacks it isn't that much easier to use than a Linux or BSD box. In the past I have found you actually can get email support from Microsoft fairly quickly for FREE! I don't know how good it will be in the future since they are moving their support contracts to India and letting their USA contractors layoff the American staff. It seems to work for Dell so maybe it will work for Microsoft. It is kind of interesting that a high profit company that likes to wrap itself in the flag for laws and government contracts will cut so may low paid American contractors for even lower paid Indian contractors. The problem with Linux on the desktop is the lack of key apps that are as good as the Windows stuff. The generic stuff is there but the stuff in CAD and other key areas has a long way to go. It is still too hard to get everything working smoothly together, YaST does a good job but there are gaps in getting all the stuff configured right. Give it another couple of years it will be there. Linux on the desktop is better than Windows 3.1 ever was but not quite at Windows XP ease. Let your convert get to know Linux in the server farm and when he is ready to put it on the desktop Linux will be ready for him. Tell him to patch all his Windows PCs before something stupid happens.