Linux Desktop for university staff

[Hodgins Family]

Good afternoon!

 This discussion appears to have boiled down to a comparison of the
relative merits of one software package versus another. All participants
have raised good points, as well.

However, I think that the OP has some homework to do before attempting
to bring Linux to the academics. 

I'd like to refocus this thread by posing a  question to the OP: 
Many universities have computing departments that have been using *nixes
for decades (before Microsoft and Apple were popular). How does the OP
propose to do what these departments have been unable to do? I mean,
while it is a  commendable idea to bring Linux to university staff (it
is free, customizable, generally secure etc), how will you propose to
convince the professors to switch from their "pet platforms"?

Rob