Re: Linux on the desktop

On Monday 08 December 2003 19:05, Pablo Vieira wrote:
> Here are my two cents: the problem is the lack of standards.
>
> I have some influence in decision making regarding operating systems. A big
> number of my clients would be pretty happy if I installed Linux in their
> boxes and I would be even happier since maintenance would be much easier to
> do with Linux. But...
>
> I know what your answer will be since I've posted this almost everywhere
> and I always get the same response (maybe this is only a serious problem in
> Spain, who knows...) The problem lies mainly in Internet Explorer, but you
> can generalise it to *lack of standards*.
>
> I can see some eyebrows rising, but the point is this:
>
> Who is defining the standards? The ISO? Really? Aren't the standards the
> .doc, .xls, etc. formats? Isn't the standard handling ActiveX, ASP, and
> don't know how many other Microsoft internet business applications methods?
> Every time I've tried to switch to Linux I've seen myself unable to *use*
> the internet properly. I already said that in some other post, but if the
> W3C or whoever else wants to convince Microsoft to do things according to
> their so-called standards I wish them good luck. All I know is I can surf
> the whole internet with IE but I can't with Mozilla (or any other Linux
> browser). End of the story.
>
> While I'm unable to buy my bus tickets without Internet Explorer, or read
> the latest price lists from my providers (which WILL NOT load into
> OpenOffice.org, I try it every time a new OO.org version is released), no
> one will convince me to use Linux. (I don't need to be convinced by the
> way, I'm praying for the day I can use it and forget about Windows).
>
> My suggestion to the community would be very clear: crack those closed
> formats as rapidly as you can and crack them COMPLETELY, so there's no way
> to produce an Excel or Word document that won't load into OO.org and
> there's no way to produce a web app that Mozilla won't be able to handle.
> THEN we decision makers and IT managers will be able to guarantee our
> customers that they won't have ONE SINGLE issue with the formats thing or a
> web application in particular.
>
> Because the fact is you can certainly guarantee that today when you put
> Windows in your customers' computers and ONLY then.
>
> There are so many apps that can fulfil the needs of that Joe Sixpack you're
> talking about that I don't really believe it's the lack of applications
> what stops Joe Sixpacks of the world switching. People -like me- advising
> regular users just have to make sure their customers' hard disks are filled
> with that they need. My father (I also give free tech supp to my family
> :-)) will never ever install anything in his computer (he wouldn't know how
> to, and he doesn't want to either). He wants it running, period. But he
> will scream at me if I tell him he can't use that particular web app
> because there's no way to install IE on his computer, or that .xls file
> full of macros and Excel-only features that his provider sent him will not
> load into OO.org.
>
> He couldn't care less about the name or even the look of the OS (he didn't
> even mention the new XP look). The desktop metaphor is simply ubiquitous
> and the use of 'windows, menus and pointers' standard isn't something he'll
> miss by using Linux (because it's there, obviously).
>
> What's the influence people like me can have on other people's computing
> habits? I believe it's HUGE. Give me that de-facto standards 100%
> compliance and I'll put Linux in some 200 boxes this very week, from family
> PCs to lawyers, dentists, engineers and secretaries. That's the range of
> customers I handle and I'm pretty sure not even a 5% would complain if I
> took Windows away from them.

If Windows is doing such a good job why won't people complain if you take it 
away from them?
regards
garry

> Pablo
>
> PS: I do think there's plenty of improvement to do regarding word
> processors, but that's another story.
>
> > -----Mensaje original-----
> > De: annoyances-bounces-DzJonyRHso41Ayx8vbq1stBPR1lH4CV8@public.gmane.org [mailto:annoyances-bounces@dee-
> > annleblanc.com] En nombre de Daniel C. von Asmuth
> > Enviado el: lunes, 08 de diciembre de 2003 13:32
> > Para: [email protected]
> > Asunto: [Annoyances] Linux on the desktop
> >
> > Why is Linux so slow to conquer the desktop?
> >
> > The major obstacle seems to be the lack of applications.
> >
> > Why are there so few applications for Linux?
> >
> > Well, that's no true. If you search freshmeat and sourceforge you will
> > find an ever growing number of software projects. The question should
> > read "why are there so few commercial applications?".
> >
> > The size of the market is smaller than for the Competition, but this is
> > not the whole answer.
> >
> > When you consider the failure of Linux desktop software like WordPerfect,
> > ApplixWare and Kylix, an important reason would be the Gift Culture of
> > the Linux crowd. They will go for anything that comes free of charge if
> > they can. There is no Photoshop for Linux, because Gimp is good enough.
> > There is an Oracle, but MySql is good enough for most users. TextMaker is
> > a nice word processor, but the majority favours OpenOffice. (giving Sun a
> > hard time to sell StarOffice).
> >
> > A viable commercial Linux application will need some unique feature.
> > There are examples, like Mathematica, SPSS, and BitKeeper, but these are
> > outside Joe Sixpack's budget.
> >
> >
> > Happy Holidays,
> >
> >
> >
> > Daniel
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > 			MONOPOLIE
> > 	een vergissing van Windows in uw nadeel
> > 	alle programma's zijn gestopt en niet opgeslagen gegevens verloren
> > 	gooi Mijn Computer direkt in de Prullenbak
> > 	ga niet langs Start; u ontvangt geen Eur 20.000
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>
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