The same clients who are purchasing NT-based servers for some client and application servers are sticking with Unix for business-critical applications, Yeates said.

CNN: Compaq wants in on the Unix market

Linux has so far gleaned the support of major corporations such as IBM, Sun Microsystems, and Hewlett-Packard for use in servers and is now gaining some popularity in the desktop market.

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The devices will run on Sun's Java-based operating system and will boost demand for the company's big servers, which already power some of the most popular websites.

ECONOMIST: Mobile telecoms

But to maximize profitability under this data sales model, Facebook wants to drive the cost of data center infrastructure to some point below that of commodity boxes servers and storage arrays for example.

FORBES: Hackers at the Big Iron Gates

Michael Dell shook up the PC market years ago, not that many, either, and can do it again in the cloud, with enterprise servers, and probably some great desktop, laptops, and tablets for the smaller business markets.

FORBES: Innovation Desire Drives Dell Buyout

Backing up your personal PC to external media might still be a novel concept for some, but any IT manager fresh out of school can tell you that regularly backing up mission-critical servers -- and storing those backups in multiple physical locations -- isn't merely important, it's practically non-negotiable, and it only becomes that much more critical before undertaking hardware maintenance.

ENGADGET: Sidekick failure rumors point fingers at outsourcing, lack of backups