GNU/Linux is starting to see amazing growth in production systems.
Where GNU/Linux has been the prefered option for hosting web sites, ftp sites and providing various infrastrture services such as DNS, it is now starting to move into the large database and data services arena with industry leaders such as IBM and Oracle supplementing free databases already available
Not quite. Freedom of choice and less licensing nightmares. Major desktop distributions will still charge you for support.
A small investment in IT skills will give you a pleasant surprise in terms of what can be achieved free though.
You have complete freedom and control over your Linux systems.
Cost. You can start running your own ISP, infrastructure services or website and not have to pay a cent for software.
Free functional desktops with web browsers word processors and email clients.
Amazing super computers capabilities via cluster and grid computing. Not to mention render farms used in several smash box office hits.
You cannot sue Microsoft when things go wrong anyway. No really, what do you think that will achieve? At least with Linux you can fix it since the source code is provided.
Proprietary standards are not standards and lock you into vendors. Linux is based on open standards.