58 per cent of users ready to drop Windows for Linux

Poll shows widespread anti-Microsoft sentiment among users

Around 58 per cent of computer users would ditch Windows in favour of other operating systems, according to a poll of IT industry executives conducted by researcher Giga Information Group. The survey was carried out among the 142 attendees of Giga's Emerging Technology Scene conference. Because of the relatively small sample, Giga puts the margin of error at plus or minus ten per cent, but even the lowest figure represents a lot of users for Microsoft to lose. Microsoft was also revealed by the survey to be the vendor conference attendees trusted least to deliver on its promises. Fifty-nine per cent of attendees picked the Great Satan of Software in that category -- next came AOL/Netscape with just 14 per cent of the vote, ahead of Oracle (13 per cent) and IBM (nine per cent). Giga analyst Rob Enderle said the clear anti-Microsoft results of the poll are a good indication of the direction in which the OS market is moving. He also pointed out that many respondents highlighted Linux as the platform they would move to. ®