Over the past two years, Texas has become ground zero in the war between proprietary and free/open-source software for use in state and local government. Our unilateral correspondent gives an update on three key battles in the Lone Star state. (1,700 words)

In monitoring his son-in-law's performance in the Busch Series, Joe Barr discovers that NASCAR.com is packed with great information and features for racing fans. Unfortunately for Linux and Macintosh users, the site's most-exciting feature -- streaming audio and video -- is rigged to work only with RealOne and a Windows PC. Joe explores the reasons behind this incompatibility and wonders whether the problem is of the technical or marketing variety. (1,500 words)

There are dozens of reasons why people have underestimated how quickly Linux has been grabbing Windows' market share. Windows starts out with a false boost and maintains its illusory market share even as it gets replaced by Linux. In 2004, don't be surprised when Linux overtakes Windows to become the main focus for developers.

We put a microscope to SCO's complaint and find logical leaps, factual gaffes and a heap of trouble for IBM if SCO's main contention is true. (2,600 words)

Showcasing a questionable understanding of the history of Unix, open-source software and computing in general, SCO's lawsuit against IBM has sent shockwaves rippling across the IT community. Parts of SCO's complaint would be laugh-out-loud funny if only the possible repercussions for Linux and open source weren't so detrimental. (1,400 words)

Now that Linux boasts full-featured office suites, there's no reason it can't become a boon for small- and home-offices. Joe Barr compares two Optical Character Recognition packages -- Kooka & Gocr (free software) and OCR Shop (proprietary) -- that may be of special value in the legal and medical fields. While Joe finds one of the packages to be clearly superior in terms of performance, his personal pick of the two applications might surprise you. (1,500 words)

In the Browser Wars' latest scrap, MSN 'optimized' Opera browsers by sending instructions to shift text 30 pixels to the left. Opera responded by releasing a humorous 'Bork version' of its Windows browser, but Microsoft's track record in dealing with competitors isn't so funny -- and neither are the possible repercussions. (1,600 words)

Our Hero uncovers Microsoft's ingenious, covert marketing efforts to promote Linux and open source via its own products' security vulnerabilities. This column is intended for mature audiences with a keen eye for sarcasm. (1,600 words)

Bill Gates outlined his optimistic vision of the coming digital decade in a speech to the Italian Senate as open source advocates in penguin suits protested his visit and called on the Italian government to legislate in favor of the use of open-source software by the state administration as an alternative to Microsoft's ubiquitous operating systems. [IDG News Service]

With the core prototype awaiting user reaction, Murphy examines consolidation and software pricing issues raised by readers. He finds Moore's Law has been working its magic on Unix software costs while only Nixon's Law seems to have applied to Microsoft's. (2,600 words)

It's the time of year when columnists make shots in the dark about what will happen in the next 365 days, and Joe Barr is no exception. Plus, we review how well Barr did last year. Editor's advice: Don't listen to his Super Bowl predictions. (1,550 words)

Help for managers who want to undertake their own TCO study. We look at three current real-world scenarios to learn what elements should be included in TCO calculations. (2,650 words)

At wit's end due to crowded shopping malls, miserable weather and that FAO Schwartz song that plays over and over and over until you lose your mind? Have no fear: an open-source, first-person-shooter game called Cube can help relieve some of your stress, and Joe Barr is here to tell you how. (1,300 words)

Ever since his own jump to open source, Joe Barr has been hearing complaints from Linux newbies and never really bought into any of them. Until now. Joe points out three major obstacles for anyone making the jump to Linux and explains how the operating system's usability can improve. (1,700 words)

The pluses for Mandrake installation are its speed and the absolute ease of obtaining and applying updates. It completely obliterates the Windows contenders in both the update category and the installation of attached devices. (1,900 words)

Joe Barr tests the installation process for the sample version of Xandros 1.0. Our hero finds that the Distribution Formerly Known As Corel Linux isn't just pretty... it's pretty darn easy to install, too. (2,200 words)

First, we compared the reinstallation of Windows 2000 to a fresh installation of Red Hat 7.3. Then we brought in a newbie to install Windows XP, on the theory that the latest Windows would be the state of the art in convenience and speed. In this installment, we compare all to the latest release from Red Hat. (1,600 words)

Joe Barr responds to reader feedback about his recent Red Hat vs. Win2000 install comparison and accepts the challenge to put Windows XP installation up to the test. Will Windows enthusiasts win out and force Joe to eat crow, or will Red Hat remain the quickest and easiest install tested yet? Part two in a continuing series (2,000 words)

Knoppix is an 'instant demo' distribution. You make (or buy) a bootable CD, plop it in your CD drive, and reboot. Voila, THAT is your installation. (1,200 words)

I expected Windows 2000's installation would be seamless, fast, and lightyears ahead of upstart Red Hat's by any measure I could concoct. It turns out the Windows 2000 Pro installation is superior to Linux, but in two dubious categories. (2,000 words)

I found interesting comments in a recent interview of Scott McNealy. Let me sum up McNealy's views, and what I think is right and wrong with them. We examine how open source screws up revenue models, and who cares about an OS. (1,500 words)

What would motivate Microsoft to participate in an event celebrating a cancer-causing, communist-inspired, anti-American miscreant of an operating system called Linux? (1,200 words)

StarOffice is a complete package. It's no longer free as in beer, but it's a good buy, especially if you get it as part of a bundle such as a Linux distribution or Ximian's Red Carpet Express. (1,000 words)

When Gobe Software announced it was adding Linux to its stable of supported platforms, I immediately requested a review copy. There wasn't one at the time, but I was recently informed there was an alpha version I could look at if I wished. (1,200 words)

Even if you don't have Exchange or an Exchange replacement as your back-end server, Evolution is still a powerful client for scheduling meetings with others who have similar tools. The Palm Pilot sync feature's the best for Linux users, too. (1,200 words)

Richard Stallman is easily the most controversial figure associated with Linux and the open source movement. And the controversy begins with this very terminology. Stallman, fairly or not, believes the operating system is and should be called GNU/Linux, and the movement that he is a part of is not favoring 'open source' but 'free software.'

Win4Lin lets you run Microsoft Office and Lotus Notes from a Linux desktop. It works well. You need a valid Windows 9x license to make it go, which points out the price of running Windows on Linux can range from less expensive to more expensive than running Windows alone. (1,200 words)

Microsoft's Licensing 6.0 should make you want to avoid its software. If you can't or won't and want to run Office and Lotus Notes on your Linux desktop, Codeweaver's CrossOver Office is the best way to go. (1,200 words)

SuSE Linux Professional Linux version 8.0 will include an open source version of Sun's Grid Engine 5.3. (550 words)

'Linux? Step to the back of the bus, please. This section is reserved for Windows users only.' That's the message everyone but Microsoft Windows users get when they wish to do more than browse the FCC's Web site. Ironic that an agency bearing the name 'communications' does such a lousy job of it. (1,200 words)

Slipping a Linux desktop into a Windows-dominated corporate environment can be easier than you think. In Part 2 of this series, we describe a simple method for Linux users to browse a Windows network. (2,484 words)

If you feel yourself longing for a little bit of community, get in touch with the Linux root system. You can find it at your local LUG. (1,260 words)

First part in a series describing simple and easy ways to replace a Windows workstation with a Linux workstation, and stay productive in a corporate environment. (1,600 words)

Readers suggest the language Ximian's Miguel de Icaza should use when writing Mono. Plus, evidence that Bill Gates and Miguel were separated at birth. (1,200 words)

Expect from HP at LinuxWorld Expo pay-per-use pricing, a new developer's kit, support of Ximian, a raft of user success stories, and more to be revealed at the show. (800 words)

Are IBM's newest television ads simply about the enterprise versus the perils of the Internet, or do you think the way I do, that they portray another chapter in the Microsoft-IBM battle? (1,100 words)

Reader reaction to last week's column was a bit passionate. We add a dose of perspective, call for civility and reason, then dump gasoline on the KDE vs GNOME flame war. (1,800 words)

Our hero purges himself of pent-up biases towards past Linux distributions. In the weeks and months ahead we'll look at current Linux distributions. Plus, a gratuitous, superficial, and fun slap at MCSE. (2,500 words)

Bruce Perens lends his name and reputation to HP's open source initiatives. (1,100 words)

Joe Barr has outdone himself. Scoring an interview with the Bob Young is good. But actually pinning down one of the monopoly's minions for a verbal slugfest with Young is a triumph. If Joe has accomplished this much by the first of April, by year's end the LinuxWorld.com editors will almost certainly cave in to his demand for an espresso machine in his limousine. (1,300 words)