The cost of using Windows over Linux per device is significantly less than one month's salary for an engineer.
Even if you are cost sensitive, the OS is not at the top of expenses you need to worry about.
Ask HN: Why aren't cost-minded SME/startups using Linux on laptops even now?
11–20 of 23 posts
Re: Ask HN: Why aren't cost-minded SME/startups using Linux on laptops even now?
#12There’s a bunch of Windows alternatives. The Android or iOS captures the simple use cases. Mac captures those looking for lower TCO and fancy stuff.
A lot of people still like Windows as well. Microsoft allows a grey market to thrive for cost conscious customers. You can buy legit windows licenses for $20.
Re: Ask HN: Why aren't cost-minded SME/startups using Linux on laptops even now?
#13The startup where I work let's you use Linux laptops as long as they can install Microsoft InTune on it. In practice, that means some developers/engineers use Ubuntu.
Re: Ask HN: Why aren't cost-minded SME/startups using Linux on laptops even now?
#14The cost of using Windows over Linux per device is significantly less than one month's salary for an engineer. Even if you are cost sensitive, the OS is not at the top of expenses you need to worry about.
Much less than one month. More like one day, or even a few hours depending on your job.
Or to paraphrase an answer to the original question- because Windows is so cheap (compared to the other costs in a business) that it's simply not worth any effort at all to avoid it.
Saving $100 on the lifetime cost of a laptop, and the person who uses it, is a rounding error from 0.
Whereas every incompatibility, mitigation, driver download, print failure etc just costs time.
Re: Ask HN: Why aren't cost-minded SME/startups using Linux on laptops even now?
#15There’s a bunch of Windows alternatives. The Android or iOS captures the simple use cases. Mac captures those looking for lower TCO and fancy stuff. A lot of people still like Windows as well. Microsoft allows a grey market to thrive for cost conscious customers. You can buy legit windows licenses for $20.
> Mac captures those looking for lower TCO...
Having owned Macs and supported Macs in IT... Both Dell and HP had lower TCO and that's only more true now since I can still extend the life of the Dell/HP/Lenovo if need be with disc/ram upgrades if push come to shove.
In 5 years the Mac must be replaced...
Re: Ask HN: Why aren't cost-minded SME/startups using Linux on laptops even now?
#16You can buy a Windows 11 Pro license for for as cheap as 1€.
How?
Re: Ask HN: Why aren't cost-minded SME/startups using Linux on laptops even now?
#17Re: Ask HN: Why aren't cost-minded SME/startups using Linux on laptops even now?
#18The cost of using Windows over Linux per device is significantly less than one month's salary for an engineer. Even if you are cost sensitive, the OS is not at the top of expenses you need to worry about.
Plus you might use Dell and let them do all the support, warranty and accidental damage cover. Having someone pop in and fix shit is great, and Windows is just part of that world. You now focus on your core thing.
Macs or cloud workspaces are there if you need posixy environments. Linux docker is OK on Windows too.
Re: Ask HN: Why aren't cost-minded SME/startups using Linux on laptops even now?
#19There’s a bunch of Windows alternatives. The Android or iOS captures the simple use cases. Mac captures those looking for lower TCO and fancy stuff. A lot of people still like Windows as well. Microsoft allows a grey market to thrive for cost conscious customers. You can buy legit windows licenses for $20.
> Mac captures those looking for lower TCO... Having owned Macs and supported Macs in IT... Both Dell and HP had lower TCO and that's only more true now since I can still extend the life of the Dell/HP/Lenovo if need be with disc/ram upgrades if push come to shove. In 5 years the Mac must be replaced...
You’re either a small shop or have way too much IT labor.
The cost of the upgrade exceeds the value of the device, plus the more aggressive Windows lifecycle nonsense drives more fiddling to keep the operating systems up to date.
Re: Ask HN: Why aren't cost-minded SME/startups using Linux on laptops even now?
#20I am trying to figure out gaming on cutting edge hardware with Arch. It is absolutely possible but certainly not for the timid.