| I came to India last December, and I have been in | | | | PhotoShop. Business cards are also designed using |
| India for the last two and a half months or so. | | | | PhotoShop. PhotoShop is everywhere. However, |
| Before I came to India, I was expecting that there | | | | there is no equivalent of PhotoShop available on |
| are a fair number of Linux users in India, but that is | | | | Linux. (PhotoShop is available on Macintosh, but |
| not the case at all. It seems that the average Indian | | | | Macintosh is clearly more expensive than Windows |
| person just gets a copy of pirated Windows instead | | | | and Linux. The difference in cost between Macintosh |
| of a free and legal copy of Linux; not many Indian | | | | and the other two OSes Windows and Linux is too |
| people seem to be interested in Linux. Some may | | | | big). |
| wonder why the average Indian person does not | | | | Many of, if not, most of working professionals in |
| want to get a copy of free, legal and fully functional | | | | India work with those outside of India; they are not |
| Linux, but there are good reasons why he/she | | | | necessarily in outsourcing businesses, but their |
| prefers a copy of pirated Windows. | | | | businesses are often set up so that they collaborate |
| One of the biggest reasons is rather obvious; as far | | | | with those outside of India. Compatibility is critical, |
| as the average Indian person is concerned, Windows | | | | and using Windows makes their life so much easier. |
| is what he/she knows, and he wants to stick with | | | | They really do not have to think about creating files |
| what he knows. Just like in many other countries, the | | | | in different formats or learning differences between |
| vast majority of people have been using Windows | | | | Windows and Linux. Business environment in India is |
| for the last ten years or so in India, and Windows | | | | different enough and there is no need to add more |
| has the strongest install base. As far as the average | | | | complexity in their business operations. |
| Indian person is concerned, Windows is THE OS. He | | | | The government also has not made a lot of effort |
| simply does not bother about changing OS all of a | | | | for poor communities to use Linux based thin clients |
| sudden. | | | | and full-featured Linux, while they can greatly benefit |
| One of Linux's compelling features is the cost; Linux | | | | from the use of Linux. While the government |
| is free. However, as far as the average Indian person | | | | intervention is debatable, the government has not |
| is concerned, there is no difference in cost between | | | | encouraged or forced businesses in India to use |
| Linux and Windows, since he gets a copy of pirated | | | | Linux. |
| Windows instead of an authorized and legal copy of | | | | Finally, young people who plan to work in IT are |
| Windows anyway. Also it is not that difficult to get a | | | | interested in learning more about Windows than |
| copy of pirated Windows in India. Most, if not, all | | | | Linux. They prefer to get MCSE and other Microsoft |
| computer shops around the country have copies of | | | | certificates than Linux certificates. Even when they |
| pirated Windows and they just install Windows free | | | | study to get other certificates such as CCNA, they |
| of charge. | | | | think in terms of what those certificates mean in |
| The fact of the matter is that Linux can be a little | | | | Windows environment. Microsoft certificates generally |
| more expensive than Windows in India. Since most, if | | | | give more job opportunities than Linux certificates, so |
| not, all computer shops around India have copies of | | | | they want to have Windows on their computers |
| pirated Windows and they just install Windows free | | | | rather than Linux. |
| of charge, there is no extra cost to get a copy of | | | | This article is not written to criticize Linux in any way; |
| pirated Windows for the average Indian person; | | | | it is simply written to describe the IT environment in |
| however, he may need to get a CD from a Linux | | | | India. My guess is that many of those who live |
| distributor to get a copy of Linux. Ordering the CD is | | | | outside of India intuitively think that there are a fair |
| not free; there is a cost. So, Linux can be a little | | | | number of Linux users in India because Linux is free; |
| more expensive than Windows. | | | | that was actually my intuition as well. However, once |
| Critical business applications still only run on Windows, | | | | the role that Windows plays in India, in particular, in |
| and this is another big reason why the average Indian | | | | India's business environment, it becomes quite clear |
| person prefers a copy of pirated Windows to a free | | | | why Windows has a so much bigger install base in |
| and legal copy of Linux. For example, PhotoShop is a | | | | India than Linux. |
| critical business application. Many photo stores use | | | | |