[edit: TOC -> TCO]
A big difference compared to one or two decades ago is that a lot of domain-specific services have moved to web applications. So, there are probably a lot of machines out there that are just glorified web browsing machines.
Also, the popularity of iOS and Android have made more applications cross-platform.
Of course, once Office documents or legacy Win32 applications are part of the equation, you can't really beat Windows. It is a common misconception that LibreOffice could replace Office. I use a Linux desktop and a MacBook and most of the Word/Excel paperwork that I have to do (luckily irregularly) does not open correctly in LibreOffice. Of course, it is an uphill battle for the LO folks.
By that criteria (which are real criteria from real people), the only viable replacement for Microsoft Office, is the next version of Microsoft Office.
The only way to break out of this, I think, is for governments to forbid themselves to use proprietary software that was not developed on their own soil. Because let's face it, it's not really about money (especially not about short term money). It's more about national security, sovereignty, and freedom.
Dealing with this at work now.
And it's not like they're disinterested or incapable of learning, literally no one thought "Gee, what those folks are doing looks a lot like code."
The biggest boost to interop would be requiring software vendors to release spec sheets for necessary software components and file formats... if they want government work. No more "It's too hard" or "We can't." You want the job, those are the rules.
So, business teams invented the all-too-common version of agile development even before “real” software developers, without the disadvantage of ignorance of the body of knowledge around the SDLC, got around to it.
For that use case, there's always SoftMaker Office[1].
By that criteria, the only viable replacement for Microsoft Office is the _same_ version of Microsoft Office.
The delta between two Microsoft Office versions has often been larger than between a Microsoft Office version and a LibreOffice version...
Walk a mile in our shoes. You understand truths about your job we may not.
Perceived change generates just as much stress and associated opposition as actual change. You've just enabled me to make that explicit for myself. I feel stupid that took me so many years. Thank you for that.
Writing this out somewhat softens my frustration with people refusing to use anything but the blue e or similar intellectual laziness.
Not everything is an adversarial thing about two opposing groups of people.
Citation needed.
The company I work for switched wholesale away from Microsoft. Management moved first and the rest of us shortly afterwards. Haven't heard any complaints.
The company you work for is one of the enlightened few. Or maybe it's a tech company with an enlightened management?
It is. We are a tech/consulting company, but management is management and we also have a good number of employees older than me (and I think that is great :-)
If I have a 50% chance to cut my IT budget by 15%, if I remake my org, is it worth it?
Honestly, because most customers sponsoring projects were morons. If you told them there was a 25% chance of failure, they'd go with someone else who claimed a 0% chance of failure.
I finally decided most of this was just sponsors covering their ass. If they initiated a project with risk and it failed, that reflected on them. If they initiated a project and the consultants claimed (winkwinknudgenudge) there's no risk, then if it failed those lying consultants were the only ones to blame.