>>I was referring to Microsoft Server programming languages and databases as being a preference for development on the server side. What you're >talking about are Client things primarily.
>
>Microsoft in the server room OK. I don't normally care except for the expense. If the client goes that way OK by me. I often ask why and the standard answer is because my guy knows MS. That's a fair response. But it does not say it's better than Linux. Nor does it say it is easier to program on the sever side. BTW my solutions run on either windows or Linux (most of what I do also runs on Mac's).
>
>But you are right I was talking about the client side.

An increase of 50% from a start of about 1% would mean a market share of ~10% at the end of this century -
which will probably have no client desktop HW (multi-CPU running enough VM's for polygyn families with multiple kids by each wife)
and whole office buildings or at least floors running on one box. That crosses heavily into "server" area, even if the VM's are probably Win-majority. Currently planning similar steps with the new laptop.

Your other perception about non-MS laptops is partly true over here as well:
about or slightly more than half Win,
minimally less than 1/3 of apple make,
rest linux (~20%) at java conferences.

And I love the way Word and Excel start even in a VM:
that is the '97 edition I use for my own documents,
even if others are installed for sent over newer versions ;-)

regards

thomas