Microsoft Windows may be ubiquitous in America and Europe, but its future as the champion of the IT industry is under threat from on multiple fronts. Google is moving the power from software that you run directly on your PC to software run through the internet, making the operating system you use less important. And globalisation - especially the emergence of China into the world economy - is helping create a new battle for the hearts and souls of our computers.

About 30 percent of personal computers in China run Linux - and this looks set to rise as piracy becomes less acceptable. At the end of 2004, eWeek reports, "the central government asked the provincial governments and the city governments to buy legal software to replace all of the previously illegal software". Given that most Windows installations in China are pirated, this may emphasise the cost advantage that Linux usage brings.

Moreover, Chinese consumers are directly exposed to the cost of using Windows, unlike here in Britain where if you buy a new PC, you pretty much have to pay for Windows whether you want it or not. According to Linux Magazine:

While PC manufacturers in the U.S. face pressure from Microsoft to avoid Linux, the Chinese arms of the very same companies are free to load Linux with carte blanche.

For example, HP sells its Pavilion desktops in China with a choice of Windows or Linux. Random checks at electronic stores in Beijing show a basic Linux Pavilion selling for $60 less than the Windows XP version. Silent about Linux at home, Dell announced last year that it had certified its business laptops and desktops to work with Red Flag Linux. Domestic PC vendor, Lenovo, also touts Linux on its PCs and servers.