I have been using Linux since the early 90s and saw right away that it was a better way to build software.

I remember people saying that "it is just a toy operating system". I also remember going to the Atlanta Linux Showcase and seeing San Mehat walking around with a 5 or 10 node Beowulf Cluster (super computer) in the palm of his hand. Later, I was bought a cluster with software he wrote (Vacum I think) when he moved over to VALinux from Rebol.

Now Linux is the defacto install for most ISP / Hosting companies and is quickly becoming the defacto standard for cell phones and hand held devices.