Microsoft Promotes Linux on the Desktop

What's the number one impediment to Linux taking over the desktop?

-Too hard to install?
Nope, this hasn't been true for any good Linux distro in years, in fact it's easier to install SuSE Linux than Windows XP.

-Lack of applications?
Not much of a problem these days, there are thousands of high quality, open source and commercial applicatinos for Linux. And between WINE/Crossover Office and other technologies you can pretty much run anything.

-Hardware support?
About a wash. Windows support is limited to pretty much only spanking new hardware. Linux supports older HW and nearly all mainstream HW. Plus stuff just works with Linux, no downloading drivers, "run this CD First", or other Windows type nonsense.

No, the real answer is games.
The unfortunate problem is that:
A) Game manufacturers are purely short term profit driven, with low margins. They support only the most popular, widespread platforms.
B) Linux developers and hackers are often more interested in other things besides gaming.
(I rarelyplay any games myself. There's just too much other, more interesting stuff to do).

Not being a gamer myself, I always told people "Who cares if Linux supports games? If you really need to play them, buy a console"
However, console's haven't really had the gaming power, and the graphics that a good gaming PC can provide. Heck, the X-Box was nothing but a crappy PC in a big ugly plastic box, with low, TV resolution graphics. After all, the cheapest monitor blows away the resolution, detail, and colour clarity of television. Even at 640x480. So for serious gamers, this wasn't really a solution.

However, thanks to two recent introductions, this has all changed.
The first of course is HDTV. Now that your living room television can give you 54 inches of hi-resolution glory, your monitor looks puny and lifeless.
The second is high-end, HDTV supporting consoles.
Combine the two and PC gaming is on the way out.

Now here comes Microsoft finally selling a decent, high powered, HDTV supporting console in the X-Box 360.

So today I was blown-away to realize that Microsoft is spending millions promoting the solution to the final impediment to Linux on the desktop.

So head on down to your local computer store, buy an inexpensive PC, load SuSE Linux on it, and with the money you save on the hardware* and on the software** you can buy an X-Box 360 (or even better, wait for the sure to be superior Playstation III) and still have change left over.

Thanks Microsoft for supporting the move to quality, inexpensive, Linux operating systems on the desktop.

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*(it can be cheaper now that you don't need it to support gaming and windows bloat)
**($59 for SuSE with 2500 applications, versus hundreds just for Windows XP, and Office and a few other apps)