Linux and Microsoft Office

Linux and Microsoft Office

I had one particular problem with the Gartner group's myth debunking about Microsoft Office and Linux.

Linux will be less expensive than Windows because StarOffice/OpenOffice.org can then be used instead of Microsoft Office.

...The decision about changing the office productivity package should be made separately from the decision of whether to change the client OS...

I would be happy to accept this idea, save one problem: Microsoft is more than willing to assert its right not to port Microsoft Office to Linux. Logically, I can separate my decision to change my Office Productivity package from my operating system if and only if the productivity packages I'm evaluating are available for all operating systems in question.

Running this down anew, I can easily make the following statements:

1. Microsoft Office is not ported to Linux. I cannot run it on that operating system in any reasonable supported fashion.
2. If I want to consider Linux on the desktop, and since I can't run Microsoft Office on Linux, I am now forced to consider alternatives for Linux which work in Microsoft Office's niche. Conveniently enough, StarOffice and OpenOffice do so with reasonable carryover.
3. If I make a conscious decision to choose Linux over Windows (for any reasons I deem fit), I have by default committed to an alternative to Microsoft Office. Therefore, if the alternative is less expensive than a copy of Microsoft Office, I have saved exactly that much money in licensing fees by choosing Linux.

Perhaps I could rephrase their original 'myth' like this, for rebuttal:

Linux will be less expensive than Windows because StarOffice/OpenOffice.org (or a presumably less-expensive-than-Office-alternative) must be used instead of Microsoft Office.