In 1994, he released Linux 1.0. Since then, Linux has become one of the fastest-growing operating systems. The number of Linux users has almost doubled annually from 500,000 in 1994 to about 7 million this year. The primary attraction of Linux is that it's open-source software, which means users can modify it to meet their needs without paying a licensing fee. But there can still be a price tag involved with Linux.
Pricing is based on services and support that are bundled with the operating system.
Linux's other strengths include its stability, which makes it suitable as a server operating system for manufacturing and financial applications. Its high performance makes it especially suitable for multimedia. Linux generated the spectacular special effects for the movie Titanic. Linux also spawns camaraderie among programmers. For example, if a programmer discovers a defect in the code, he fixes it and shares the patch with others.