No subject

>From suter  Thu Oct  4 17:59:36 2001
Return-Path: <mdlishum at zerlargal.humbug.org.au>
Received: from diadora.client.uq.net.au (IDENT:root at diadora-2 [10.0.1.2])
	by zwitterion.humbug.org.au (8.12.1/8.12.1/Debian -1) with ESMTP id f947xZ8C025494
	for <suter at zwitterion.humbug.org.au>; Thu, 4 Oct 2001 17:59:36 +1000
Received: from zerlargal.humbug.org.au (zerlargal.humbug.org.au [210.215.3.29])
	by diadora.client.uq.net.au (8.12.1/8.12.1/Debian -1) with ESMTP id f947xZEQ000417
	for <suter at zwitterion.humbug.org.au>; Thu, 4 Oct 2001 17:59:35 +1000
Received: from mdlishum by zerlargal.humbug.org.au with local (Exim 2.12 #2)
	id 15p3IB-000Mfu-00
	for general-outgoing at lists.humbug.org.au; Thu, 4 Oct 2001 17:51:39 +1000
Received: from fox.uq.net.au
	([203.101.255.1] helo=uq.net.au ident=root)
	by zerlargal.humbug.org.au with esmtp (Exim 2.12 #2)
	id 15p3IA-000Mfp-00
	for general at lists.humbug.org.au; Thu, 4 Oct 2001 17:51:38 +1000
Received: from p450 (d-21-58.stlucia.uq.net.au [203.100.21.58])
	by uq.net.au (8.9.3/8.9.3) with SMTP id RAA17808
	for <general at lists.humbug.org.au>; Thu, 4 Oct 2001 17:48:46 +1000 (GMT+1000)
Message-ID: <001401c14ca8$7c78e900$0a01a8c0 at p450>
From: "Frank Brand" <fbrand at uq.net.au>
To: <general at lists.humbug.org.au>
Subject: Re: [H-GEN] The Gates Retirement Fund
Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2001 17:44:35 +1000
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Priority: 3
X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.1
X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3
Precedence: bulk
Reply-To: general at lists.humbug.org.au
X-Loop: general at lists.humbug.org.au
List-Help: <mailto:majordomo at lists.humbug.org.au?subject=help>
List-Post: <mailto:general at lists.humbug.org.au>
List-Subscribe: <mailto: general-request at lists.humbug.org.au?subject=subscribe>
List-Id: semi-serious discussions about Humbug and Unix-related topics <general at lists.humbug.org.au>
List-Unsubscribe: <mailto: general-request at lists.humbug.org.au?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://archive.humbug.org.au/humbug-general/>
Sender: "lists.humbug.org.au Mailing List Manager" <mdlishum at zerlargal.humbug.org.au>
Status: RO
Content-Length: 3842
Lines: 73

[ Humbug *General* list - semi-serious discussions about Humbug and  ]
[ Unix-related topics.  Please observe the list's charter.           ]
[ Worthwhile understanding: http://www.humbug.org.au/netiquette.html ]

>I have one thing to say. Rich Text Format. (rtf)


I am sure Ben's wife will get very favourable treatment when she submits her
accountancy spreadsheets in rtf format (although she might use CVS but mmm
the macros probably wont work and the formating might not be quite right)
and her public relations assignment in rtf not ppt (cant think of an
alternative there) format. Even the formating in her word processed rtf docs
may not be right either.

Ben pretty well covered it and deep down we all know it. Its really the apps
that kills Linux on the desktop...apps and proprietory file formats.
Although with formats MS is not the only one doing it...Adobe, Sun, IBM ,
Corel, Word Perfect, Lotus...they all do it! It's good business sense to
lock your customers in.

It is bad enough on the home network but a lot of business apps only come in
Windows versions and it is absolutely essential to run those apps.

I have several legal copies of MS operating systems...1 DOS, 3 Win 95, 1 Win
98, 1 Win 2000 and I buy heaps of MS OS's for my customers (I supply
computers you see). Not one of my customers has ever requested Linux.

Why are the apps a problem...manufacturers wont port....why will they not
port...because 90% of the market is in Windows. How many of you bought a
copy of Applix...not enough to cause Applix to forget Linux (incidentally I
did buy a copy and an upgrade).

Linux is definately competitive as a server product look at Netcraft's web
server stats and Apache stats. They dominate the small server market...well
maybe not dominate but they match it with the opposition.

I actually went to a major wholesaler and loaded Linux on his computers and
he bought 500 copies of Linux and 500 copies of Sun Staroffice 5.1. He gave
them away in the end as promotional items...Star Office with every monitor,
Linux with every motherboard. He no longer gets either.

As soon as I get my copy of Mandrake 8.1 I will put (at my own expense) a
Linux computer into one customer's site...but I know the response...KOffice
will be too buggy, StarOffice or OpenOffice will be too slow and have an
unfamiliar interface, the big killer for an internet company will be that
Netscape or Mozilla will not be Java compatible enuff and they will be too
slow. I just set up a Fax Server for them using Win2000 and FaxMaker but I
think I might be able to get Hylafax on Linux doing the same thing so
servers will still be a possibility (Win 2000 and FaxMaker - www.gfi.com -
cost about $600) FaxMaker was a proper bastard to set up through the proxies
(I tried RelayFax as an alternative and it was up and running inside an
hour - it also does not need Win2000) I believe setting Hylafax up as an
e-mail to fax gateway is not without a few pitfalls anyway but it looks like
one of very few options on Linux. With good quality apps it may be possible
to build on credibility gained from successful server deployments..I'll keep
grinding away but I don't expect early acceptance.

Incidentally, the same Slashdot that I quoted earlier included a response
from an ex-MS programmer who said that the world's biggest Linux
installation was at Microsoft. He had signed NDA's so could not elaborate on
it but said that MS's Linux porting and support operations was very large so
if ever the need arises MS Office for Linux and IE for Linux just might
appear. After-all IE for Unix has already been produced....around 2 years
ago IIRC.


Frank Brand


--
* This is list (humbug) general handled by majordomo at lists.humbug.org.au .
* Postings to this list are only accepted from subscribed addresses of
* lists 'general' or 'general-post'.