unfortunately it's not just about getting the mighty unix and everything else will come along...
there is photoshop, illustrator, ms-office, outlook etc..
you would reckon that it is possible to use other alternatives on unix platform... well, wrong...
the UI of let's say ms-outlook means actually the computer and OS itself...replace it and suddenly you are facing real problems where people would not be able to send an email just because the new look of it. I have tried some people (on win) to use mac finder - they were lost because of different icons!!!... do not underestimate a common cad-monkey (I should not talk like that though) and their 'attachment' to a particular visual routine.
my point is that you can provide super-duper os system but if it does not have a look of MS World 95 and is cheap and my neighbour does have it and when I want to look smart talking about IT we are using in the office with the client they will go... aaahh so you've got the latest ms excel - not knowing what it actually does but it feels safe to talk about the 'technology' with an architect, you can not expect public to appreciate.
it's about that IT jargon of people pretending their interest in computers (you can do things...fantastic) where 'ms word' means any typed document, 'photoshop' stands for any photo printed out from your digital camera, and at the moment the word unix means... eehh pardon me?
I have been in this industry long enough and I have to say I have not seen and arch. office on unix ever...
the final note: I am referring to unix or linux excluding OSX as it's probably most successfully implemented version of it.... so it brings me to realisation that we have an unix version of AC after all!
::rk