Related link: http://www.osafoundation.org/desktop-linux-overview.pdf

If you’ve ever played the classic arcade game Punch-Out chances are you’ve heard the words, “Body blow” echo in your head when you’ve seen someone take a painful hit.

I sometimes wonder if Microsoft feels like the computerized boxers of this game, defending itself from the ever increasing number of coders who decide they want to take a shot at the champ. Open Source makes the cost of entry low, you don’t even have to pump in a quarter to play.

Here is the commentary from the lastest two minutes of the fight:

• 80,000 Linux desktops deployed in Spain–Body Blow!

• Open Source bills in Oregon and Texas–Body Blow!
• 2 Councils in England, representing 10,000 desktops, considering switch to Linux–Body Blow!
• The city of Munich, third largest in Germany, to switch 14,000 desktops to Open Source solutions–Uppercut!
• Ximian working with various governments in Europe to deploy 250,000 desktop Linux systems–Body Blow!
• Opengroupware.org releases an Exchange replacement–Body Blow!
• Thailand sponsers the sale of 1 million Linux laptops–Uppercut!
• HP to sell a corporate desktop model running Linux–Body Blow!
• OpenOffice.org to release 1.1 with speed improvements, better document conversion, and a macro language–Body Blow! Body Blow! Body Blow!

We may never hear the fight announcer shout out, “Go for the knockout!” There may never be a killer app from the Open Source world that delivers the final punch that puts Microsoft to the mat. It may be that after the final round the judges award a decision victory to a battered and bloody, but still standing, Microsoft. But, even if that were to happen, Open Source would still be the winner in the eyes of the people. A rematch would be in the works before the fighters had finished their showers.

Remember, Rocky was the true winner in the first movie, Rocky, even though the decision went to Apollo. And we all know the rematch did not go Apollo’s way.