Lindows.com, the Linux operating system maker, is being forced to re-evaluate its strategy to lure the average computer user away from Windows

The company has increasingly moved away from its original claim to fame--the development of software that will run popular Windows applications on a non-Microsoft platform. A representative for Lindows.com confirmed that while some Windows applications will run on LindowsOS, this compatibility is no longer the company's top priority. "Our product does not target the user who wants to save a few dollars on the operating system, but then still run out and spend thousands of dollars on Microsoft Office, Photoshop, etc," she said. Instead, Lindows.com will focus on making Linux applications easy to download and install. However, where there is no Linux-based alternative to a Microsoft application, LindowsOS will support "some 'bridge' programs, file types and network devices to help people interact with the legacy Microsoft world," the representative said. The Linux operating system is based on the open-source GNU General Public License, which allows different companies to modify and redistribute the software, as long as modifications are returned to the community. Because of this, many distributions of Linux exist, including one from developer Red Hat, which has gained the largest market share by focusing on the server market.