I think Marcel's books are inspiring and I buy and read them, and act on them. Recommended!
Having said that, my company is a good example of Marcel's target. We are small (100 people in 4 countries) and techie (we have competent and motivated Linux techs, managed by me, a CTO who likes Linux). And yet we have not rolled out large numbers of Linux desktops.
Why not?
1 - User resistance. Cries and shouts from users and "We do not have time for that now" from techs. I think this is a simple one to overcome and that is my task - management needed.
2 - Apps. Our accountants use Quickbooks. Graphics guys use Photoshop. And so on. This is the real killer.
The OS is solid, Security is great - better than Windows. The only problem is that while 90% of the apps are fine - OpenOffice is perfect; media players can be installed and they work - the remaining 10% are showstoppers for 80% of the people.
Take me as a typical business example. Look at my laptop. Follow me from A to Z: My apps are:
- Various Canon digital photo apps for my 20D camera. Digial Photo Professional and the CR2 reader. No alternative: I need a Windows PC.
- CorelDraw - I guess I could find an OSS alternative... not as good but just about doable.
- iPod software: perhaps there are OSS alternatives but if so I doubt they are very good, and in any case they will need much time to get them working.
- Mozilla: OK in LInux too
- OpenOffice: same!
- Nero: alternatives available
- PGP: same
- Photoshop: no alternative at all. Photoshop is not available under Linux and nothing else comes close in the photography world.
- Quicktime: I imagine I can read Quicktime files in Linux, probably; no big deal anyway really.
- Ixdirect CRM: can run under Wine if we put our minds to it.
- MSN messenger: alternatives and clients available in Linux.
- Realplayer: can I play Real media in Linux? No idea but I imagine perhaps so?
- Outlook Express; no problem.
So, Photoshop (please do not suggest Gimp comes even remotely close!) and the Canon software and maybe the iPod software - that is all - but all that is a real showstopper. As long as there is no Photoshop for Linux I will not move my laptop.
And 80% of my company have some such killer app that runs only on Linux.
That's where we are. If the US court had shown some balls and forced MS to spilt OS from apps, by now we would have had Office for Linux and hence also all the other apps for Linux. Since they had no such balls, we will be in this limbo-land for years to come. Pity.
I wil get on and move the 20% (e.,g. helpdesk staff, shipping staff), anyway...
Sorry, you make the same error as so many/. folks with unsubstantiated beliefs. Unless/until the kernel and applications go through formal auditing and have had literally millions of users pounding away and thousands of script kiddies attacking, then DON'T for an instance think that Linux provides more security. Read some of the unbiased, respectable papers on the topic. You are very, very much mis-informed
The OS is solid: I have seen no papers countering this. Further, I and my company have run Linux o
You can run Photoshop using CrossOver. There are a ton of apps that aren't ported yet or may never be ported - for these, Wine is the only way forward.
With all the fancy scientists in the world, why can't they just once
build a nuclear balm?
Linux desktops - I am using one. Pros and cons. (Score:3, Insightful)
Having said that, my company is a good example of Marcel's target. We are small (100 people in 4 countries) and techie (we have competent and motivated Linux techs, managed by me, a CTO who likes Linux). And yet we have not rolled out large numbers of Linux desktops.
Why not?
1 - User resistance. Cries and shouts from users and "We do not have time for that now" from techs. I think this is a simple one to overcome and that is my task - management needed.
2 - Apps. Our accountants use Quickbooks. Graphics guys use Photoshop. And so on. This is the real killer.
The OS is solid, Security is great - better than Windows. The only problem is that while 90% of the apps are fine - OpenOffice is perfect; media players can be installed and they work - the remaining 10% are showstoppers for 80% of the people.
Take me as a typical business example. Look at my laptop. Follow me from A to Z: My apps are:
- Various Canon digital photo apps for my 20D camera. Digial Photo Professional and the CR2 reader. No alternative: I need a Windows PC.
- CorelDraw - I guess I could find an OSS alternative... not as good but just about doable.
- iPod software: perhaps there are OSS alternatives but if so I doubt they are very good, and in any case they will need much time to get them working.
- Mozilla: OK in LInux too
- OpenOffice: same!
- Nero: alternatives available
- PGP: same
- Photoshop: no alternative at all. Photoshop is not available under Linux and nothing else comes close in the photography world.
- Quicktime: I imagine I can read Quicktime files in Linux, probably; no big deal anyway really.
- Ixdirect CRM: can run under Wine if we put our minds to it.
- MSN messenger: alternatives and clients available in Linux.
- Realplayer: can I play Real media in Linux? No idea but I imagine perhaps so?
- Outlook Express; no problem.
So, Photoshop (please do not suggest Gimp comes even remotely close!) and the Canon software and maybe the iPod software - that is all - but all that is a real showstopper. As long as there is no Photoshop for Linux I will not move my laptop.
And 80% of my company have some such killer app that runs only on Linux.
That's where we are. If the US court had shown some balls and forced MS to spilt OS from apps, by now we would have had Office for Linux and hence also all the other apps for Linux. Since they had no such balls, we will be in this limbo-land for years to come. Pity.
I wil get on and move the 20% (e.,g. helpdesk staff, shipping staff), anyway...
Michael
Re:Linux desktops - I am using one. Pros and cons. (Score:2)
Re:Linux desktops - I am using one. Pros and cons. (Score:2)