I used to think of Microsoft as the evil empire. That started back when I was still a paying Windows customer. As a Linux user (and advocate) I'm supposed to dislike Microsoft even more. Before fighting Linux, they ignored us. Now it's time we ignore them. And it's pretty simple.

They say 90% of all Desktop computers run Windows but those are not my computers. I used to tell people Windows was bad. I was lying because I have never used any current version of Windows and never will, not XP and not Vista. It's just another product that I'm not even considering to buy. Like chewing gum flavoured spring water. It's ridiculous and disgusting (to me). And it's a reality in the market but it's not exacty a problem, not as long as they still make other drinks.

Windows Desktop users (fanboys and regular Induhviduals) can be annoying, but Windows/Mac fanboys forced to use Linux are worse. (I don't know anyone who runs Windows Server, but I believe we can safely assume they aren't any different.) While I feel sorry for those who believe Windows is the only OS, I don't think we can blame Ballmer for that. He talks regularly about Linux. The intended message may be anti-Linux FUD, but for most people (i.e. that 90%) it's much simpler: "Linux exists!"

The notebook market is different, because notebooks are almost always sold as packages of hard- and software. You can install a different operating system and usually get some refund for the bundled copy of Windows, but you won't know how well this works unless you try or trust someone else who tried before. Some notebook vendors have supported Linux long before Dell did and others were well known to play nice with the free operating system but those were usually the more expensive ones and only few people knew about them at all. That's why Dell's Ubuntu notebooks, the Asus eeePC and the One Linux Per Geek project are so damn interesting: Affordable and marketed for a large audience. And then there's Apple. Not really a monopoly here either.

We should be worried about the media industry instead. Anything you hate about software, you'll find it there: Monopolies, Digital Restrictions Management, anti-features, patents, corporate control about customers. Anything you like about computers is lacking: You can't do what you want with a device or your data. You do what they want you to do and then you'll throw it away.

Did you buy a media player (portable music player, DVD player, ...) lately? Unless it is an iProduct, there is probably some Microsoft inside: A logo, a CODEC, some DRM. Today most people ignore these "features" but in few years we will complain about a new monopoly.