Chemists Without Borders promotes open source solutions. The above link, and other links therein, point to excellent resources for running Windows machines entirely with freeware programs. For those who wish to avoid Windows altogether, there are excellent Linux implementations like Ubuntu and Xandros which offer comparable desktops and resources.
I tried Linux not that long ago, it was all good accept I couldn’t play any of my favorite games on it 🙁
Otherwise the OS had all the basic features and applications you could need. The average user (who doesn’t play computer games) would probably find Linux better than Windows (just compatibility for Microsoft word may be a pain).
http://www.TheFlywire.net
Aye, there’s the rub. Since so many people still use MS Word (at great expense), compatibility is seems crucial. Otherwise, it should be no-brainer to shift.