On Sun, Oct 05, 2003 at 09:17:37AM -0400, Kevin MacNeil wrote: > On Sat, Oct 04, 2003 at 10:54:46PM -0700, bruce wrote: > > > my $0.02 worth..and i don't normally follow this group/thread.... for > > linux to compete/succeed against windows/msoft on the desktop... there > > needs to be a rock solid office set of apps... for 20% of the price... > > > > then you would see msoft fall like a rock... if oracle put in a $1 > > billion, and sun gave their star office app, and then a huge open > > source app was create with the star office/funds as a start... within > > 12-18 months you'd put a dent in msoft.... > > I honestly think the desktop is pretty much there right now. For > ordinary office stuff a good distribution like Redhat and OO.o, mozilla, > evolution, etc. are more than enough for most office workers. And they > don't cost 20% of Windows + Office, they're free. It's old hat to us, > but your average clueless user (and IT manager) either doesn't know you > can get better software for nothing, or else believes it must be bad > because it's free. I've run into this over and over. In my corporation, there is a whole department that concerns itself with the procurement, installation and administration of MS products. If they were to drop MS products, there would need to be a wholesale retraining of the IT staff and the users of the software. As well, a couple of years down the road when it is found that open source software fits the bill nicely at much less cost, the existence of most of the layer of software support staffing would be called into question. So there is a built-in survival instinct for not letting open source in the door for some people. Having said that, it is a concern mainly for the desktop user (Exchange Server, XP). Linux is taking over more and more functions from our old HP-UX boxes in the backroom and will continue to do so. Eventually there will be a solid foundation of linux boxes with an easy to use but virus-sucking desktop layer on the desktop. I think it will be easier to rationalize the switch with time. -- Jack Bowling mailto: jbinpg@xxxxxxx -- redhat-list mailing list unsubscribe mailto:redhat-list-request@xxxxxxxxxx?subject=unsubscribe https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/redhat-list
