Tony Gravagno wrote:
> art wrote:
>
>> Peter McMurray wrote:
>>> Hi Art
>>> The Linux desktop is of no use outside of a particular organisation.
In
>>> other words if one is communicating with the outside world then you
run
>>> Microsoft.
>> Yep, it's a shame linux can't talk to anything else in the world. I
>> guess that's why the majority of web sites world wide use lamp.
>> Art
>
> A few mixed notes:
>
> Art, you're mixing apples and oranges ... Peter was talking about the
> desktop and you're talking about servers.
Well, yes. Intentionally. Peter was trying to talk about desktop
software on server-oriented systems (RH). I did talk about linux
desktop software, and yes OO was a significant part of the package.
Through in adobe readers, flash plugins, MS Exchange with a good Outlook
clone (Evolution), and there aren't too many things that you can't do
out-of-the-box with linux desktop apps. It'll even do Solitaire!! :-)
And then I switched gears and referenced the lamp stack that so many use
to host web sites. Just trying to make the point linux has what it
takes both desktop and server.
> It's that the average desktop user communicates with others in other
> companies during the course of their day, and Linux doesn't quite have
> the tools to faciliate this.
I'll grant you that OO doesn't have all the proprietary features that MS
has built into MS Office. But I think it has just about anything that
people actually use. Of course, your mileage may vary. The same can be
said about the new interface on the newest MS Office ribbons vs. the
traditional menu-driven interface (i.e., learning a different way to do
things).
> They would do well to use OO instead but it's a new learning effort
> for which many people just don't have time.
I would think the MS ribbons are harder to learn than OO's menus.
snip....
> Joe/Jane OfficeWorker to start using similar tools at home. The
> adoption of the Linux desktop isn't entirely technical, it requires a
> good deal of social re-engineering as well.
Agreed completely. Starting with Peter!! ;-) ;-)
snip....
> application installation and delivery are being questioned. The hot
> topic now is how to do away with the desktop entirely, and how to
> serve applications, SAAS-style to thin clients. Or how to deliver
> whatever apps IT / users want....
Mandriva delivers it's linux on a DVD with a 4.3G iso, with the bulk of
software on the DVD. Ubuntu delivers it's on a CD with a 700M iso, that
boots up from the CD, and then downloads everything else you ask for
(Mandriva has a similar option). Both, or course, deliver a
thick-client. But it is interesting to run a full-blown linux OS just
off the CD/DVD, not even hitting the hard drive. It runs a little slow
that way, but it's a good way to check out the system without affecting
the disk.
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