Can Linux push Microsoft to free Windows?

NewsFactor Network writes “In its slow — some would say inexorable — march into the hearts and minds of computer users, the open source Linux operating system (OS) has made its way onto an estimated 18 million desktops around the world. The ever-increasing popularity of Linux, which is essentially free, prompts the question: Could Microsoft eventually be forced to release a free version of Windows in order to maintain its apparent stranglehold on the planet’s desktop operating systems?”