burns <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 17 Aug 2003 23:56:28 -0400From a desktop perspective, everybody uses office. Unfortunately, everybody also uses some other task specific app without which, the job cannot be done. Office functionality is crucial but it as only the first step.
On Sun, 2003-08-17 at 18:49, Alma J Wetzker wrote:see that doesn't happen. What busines apps do we have for linux that make people want to run linux so that they can use that application? Office? Spice? Photoshop? What do we have that is close?
I would hardly classify Photoshop as a major business app for anything but the graphics market. It's not really a mainstream "cubicle" app in the same way that MS Office is.
Linux has chosen to chase the server market rather than expending most of its energy on the desktop where Windows has a stranglehold. Notwithstanding that, the Gnome and KDE folks continue to move the yardsticks month after month.
As far as office productivity apps go, Star Office has shed some of its bloat and Open Office has emerged as a winner. Collaborative calendaring is now available in a fairly polished and attractive form, Outlook clones exist (e.g. Ximian Evolution)and spreadsheet applications are no longer a poor etch-a-sketch drawing. In fact, if you really wanted to, this year there is no good reason why you couldn't switch your office over seamlessly to a Linux desktop. With KDE, even the conversion training would be minimal because it is so similar to Windows.
I applaud the decision to target server apps first. It makes the most sense and it is easiest to accomplish. Micro$oft wants to go from the desktop to the server. linux wants to go from the server to the desktop. Nothing gives me more pleasure than to reverse the M$ business model.
(I have a dream of writing a SAP-like application for distribution businesses for linux but I just don't have the time with going to school right now.)
Ehrrrr, Ummm... http://www.sap.com/company/press/press.asp?pressID=39 http://www.sap.com/linux/news.asp http://www.oracle.com/ip/deploy/database/theme_pages/index.html?linux_02032003.html http://www-3.ibm.com/software/data/db2/linux/ http://www-1.ibm.com/servers/eserver/zseries/library/specsheets/websphere_as_linux.html http://www-3.ibm.com/software/tivoli/products/sys-auto-linux/library.html
Or did you mean dot Net, perhaps? ;o)
I actually meant what I said. Most of the initiatives above started somewhere other than distribution and have added it so that a checkmark could be put on their features list. Building a distribution centered application with things like manufacturing and accounting added on could be real benefit. All it takes is time...
-- Alma
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