Comments on: What is “The Linux Desktop” anyway? http://Nebula-RnD.com/blog/tech/2008/05/linuxdesktop1.html Welcome to the Nebula Sun, 27 Jul 2008 01:45:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: Tony Gravagno http://Nebula-RnD.com/blog/tech/2008/05/linuxdesktop1.html#comment-135 Tony Gravagno Fri, 09 May 2008 00:34:13 +0000 http://Nebula-RnD.com/blog/tech/2008/05/linuxdesktop1.html#comment-135 <p>Good comments, Joseba, thanks. Pete Schellenbach is already working on AccuTerm for Linux. I know companies are cost-conscious and Windows can be a significant part of the budget. For some users who do not do anything but data entry, Linux is fine, and so is a thin-client appliance ($300US, 5 second boot, no software to maintain or mess up). I think average office workers are still too unfamiliar with Linux to put it on the desktop, so there is a training factor, but yes, that's a good place to start getting people familiar with it too.</p> <p>For guys like us, I don't think the Windows desktop will go away even if we use a Linux desktop for common tasks. Clients send me VPN client software, Remote Desktop configurations, Word, Excel, and Visio documents, and from time to time I get other files and requests that require the use of Windows. I've been told by a couple of our Linux gear-head friends that they can't open files that I've sent them. Well, I think they're trying to make a statement about choice rather than capability, and hearing they can't do something doesn't endear me to their platform, it only keeps me away. But my point here is that companies that adopt Linux now should be prepared for some amount of "can't do that" feedback. Personally I would really like to get a list of issues that people run into with Linux. I suspect the list is small but it would be good to have for anyone considering Linux desktop deployment.</p> Good comments, Joseba, thanks. Pete Schellenbach is already working on AccuTerm for Linux. I know companies are cost-conscious and Windows can be a significant part of the budget. For some users who do not do anything but data entry, Linux is fine, and so is a thin-client appliance ($300US, 5 second boot, no software to maintain or mess up). I think average office workers are still too unfamiliar with Linux to put it on the desktop, so there is a training factor, but yes, that’s a good place to start getting people familiar with it too.

For guys like us, I don’t think the Windows desktop will go away even if we use a Linux desktop for common tasks. Clients send me VPN client software, Remote Desktop configurations, Word, Excel, and Visio documents, and from time to time I get other files and requests that require the use of Windows. I’ve been told by a couple of our Linux gear-head friends that they can’t open files that I’ve sent them. Well, I think they’re trying to make a statement about choice rather than capability, and hearing they can’t do something doesn’t endear me to their platform, it only keeps me away. But my point here is that companies that adopt Linux now should be prepared for some amount of "can’t do that" feedback. Personally I would really like to get a list of issues that people run into with Linux. I suspect the list is small but it would be good to have for anyone considering Linux desktop deployment.

]]> By: jra http://Nebula-RnD.com/blog/tech/2008/05/linuxdesktop1.html#comment-134 jra Thu, 08 May 2008 21:52:08 +0000 http://Nebula-RnD.com/blog/tech/2008/05/linuxdesktop1.html#comment-134 I complete agree with you Tony. But i think they will be a good corner for a desktop in Linux more than grandfathers. When i talk with TI people in mv sites, i always find comments as:It is imposible and very expensive to mantain all that windows boxes around the mv server.Actually, many many people still use in our market a Windows PC almost as and "Old green screen", with some data transfer to Excel, a little use of Word, e-mail, a web navigator and an EMULATOR with transfer capabilities and predefined keys.It should be very interesting to configure a Linux Desktop box with f.i.:    Open Office    Firefox    Thunderbirdand......    the key, something like Accuterm or Wintegrate in Linux.With this, the effective cost of a seat in the mv environment will be much more cheap, with the same usability that the majority of the seats working now and with less problems.Who will write that Accu_WIntegLinux? I complete agree with you Tony. But i think they will be a good corner for a desktop in Linux more than grandfathers. When i talk with TI people in mv sites, i always find comments as:It is imposible and very expensive to mantain all that windows boxes around the mv server.Actually, many many people still use in our market a Windows PC almost as and "Old green screen", with some data transfer to Excel, a little use of Word, e-mail, a web navigator and an EMULATOR with transfer capabilities and predefined keys.It should be very interesting to configure a Linux Desktop box with f.i.:    Open Office    Firefox    Thunderbirdand……    the key, something like Accuterm or Wintegrate in Linux.With this, the effective cost of a seat in the mv environment will be much more cheap, with the same usability that the majority of the seats working now and with less problems.Who will write that Accu_WIntegLinux?

]]>