Desktop Linux (fwd)

Jeff Kinz jkinz at kinz.org
Wed Feb 25 13:41:26 EST 2004


On Wed, Feb 25, 2004 at 10:24:24AM -0800, Michael Costolo wrote:
> --- Jeff Kinz <jkinz at kinz.org> wrote:
> > Based on what I've seen - Quicken
> 
> Linux equivalent: GnuCash.  It is quite nice, actually.

Yes it is, but its not Quicken.  My mom, and several other people won't 
consider changing, so its got to be Quicken on Linux.

I think running it in Wine would probably be acceptable.  I know thats
being worked on, so... soon perhaps? 
> 
> > and an Outlook/Exchange replacement.
> 
> These utilities are part of KDE at least, if not part of other desktop environments.
>  Email, calendar, contacts, etc., software are already integrated.  I'm sure there
> are equally fine utilities in GNOME.

The folks I'm in touch with have been shown those utilities and they
didn't get past the "first sniff" test.  I dealing with real "end"
user's here.  People whose only experience with PC's is Windows and who
do not work with computers as part of their vocation or avocation.

Its got to look and act familiar and it has to come integrated with the
system. Its a tough audience. They won't change until the environment
around them has already migrated.  Granted Ximian and others are doing
a great job building "looks and works just like ...." stuff, but its not 
all the way there .... yet.

On the bright side, I put some linux boxes in a library to replace the 
"public use" internet and word processing functions and the public
didn't even notice that they weren't using windows.  They just walked in
and started using the systems with no more questions than usual.
I used icewm with an XP look alike theme.


> 
> > Also ability to run any medium  complex window's App. would tremendously 
> > increase trend rate to Linux.
> 
> The question was really what can you not do on a home machine if you run Linux
> instead of Windows (which would keep Linux off of the home desktop).  I'll admit to
> games.  But if you focus on what you can do instead of whether or not Company X has
> ported their software, I don't believe there is much else.  

What you can do, versus what the "user wants" is a mostly a difference in
perception.  Unfortunately perceptions can be the highest barrier to
entry. The fastest way thru that barrier is to make it appear identical
or almost identical.

-- 
Jeff Kinz, Open-PC, Emergent Research,  Hudson, MA.  
"jkinz at kinz.org" is copyright 2003.  
Use is restricted. Any use is an acceptance of the offer at
http://www.kinz.org/policy.html.



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