Powerline and pipeline patrol? Aerial photography?
Seems like those are applications that scream, "CHEAPER TO DO WITH DRONES!" to me.
Part of the issue is that the software that comes standard with Linux dwarfs what comes with Windows. For example, Linux distros typically come with and office suite (or 2), multiple mail servers and clients, a full development suite and many many more things that you must buy separately for Windows.
Of course, you can easily do a minimal (base) install of Linux that includes no GUI at all.
So, at best it's a matter of picking and choosing a kinda sorta apples to apples installation of Windows and Linux. Where there's picking and choosing, there's cherry picking...
I think that is just drunk/dumb admins doing what they are told and that they probably do not have a UX team. (They might, if they do they suck.) Those responsible will be sacked where possible and prevented from touching UX code in the future.
I will look there too, thanks. It looks kind of interesting actually. I am not sure that I like the syntax but, well, I can adjust I suppose.
That is what add-ons and extensions are for. I want to use those (and I do) but I want the choice. I do not want my browser doing crap that I tell it not to do or doing more than it should be default. I still use Opera but they have lost some features and controllability in their new/beta versions now that they are based on WebKit/Chrome. I am seriously thinking about forking it and rolling my own damned browser at this point. I like add-ons. I like choosing them wisely.
Heh, no! I think this is one of Microsoft's stupidest moves for the reasons you suggest BUT I do not think it will be as bad as you are expecting. I can certainly understand expecting the worst but I am an eternal optimist while being a pragmatist. I am Buddhist, it is my right.
"May your future be limited only by your dreams." -- Christa McAuliffe