Every day I spend considerable time with Linux and Solaris. Unix is my job and it’s been my career for 20 years. I have laptops that run Linux for a lot of the work I do on the road. I have a NAS box running Solaris. I have a desktop running Linux and MythTV. People ask why I feel the need to run Windows at all.

I have kids. They like games. There are some games I enjoy playing. The main desktop is a Windows machine just for the gaming experience.

I have clients. Some run Windows. There are, from time to time, sound business reasons to be running Windows…

OK. I’ve gone back and re-read that last sentence 4 or 5 times. I can’t keep a straight face. Let me rephrase:

There are, from time to time, clients who convince themselves that there are sound business reasons to be running Windows. I have to work with these folks. One of my primary areas of expertise is integrating Open Source solutions with Windows. LDAP into Active Directory. Unix based CIFS servers as primary data storage on Windows networks. Postfix as a gateway device into Exchange. That sort of thing. I have to be familiar with Windows or my job is harder than it needs to be.

Some Linux fanboys don’t get it. They speak out against Microsoft at every opportunity. They deride Microsoft’s products. They refuse to have anything at all to do with Windows. They have their reasons, of course, but I question the validity of those reasons. To complete exclude yourself from working with something simply because it goes against your grain limits your options. Better to know your enemy and know the ways in which you can make it better.