I think it's worth to point out some of issues in this thread:
1. Google, GoogleEarth Why hasn't anyone asked Google why they don't distribute a Linux version of GoogleEarth and others of their applications? Since Google likes to be known as the top OpenSource sponsor this should have happened a long time ago? So Google might have some very good answers. 2. Quoting:
"One of the biggest desktop Linux inconveniences is the lack of support for existing proprietary applications from big vendors such as Adobe, Autodesk and Intuit" Inconvenience?! This is not an inconvenience - it is a deal-killer! I have been waiting to run a Linux desktop since I installed Red Hat 5.1 and I am no closer to my goal. I am an open-minded consulting engineer, but the lack of support from Adobe and AutoDesk absolutely makes Linux on MY desktop a non-starter.
This is exactly what was meant with the first "top inhibitor of the Linux desktop adoption" in the OSDL survey. And "... makes Linux on MY desktop a non-starter" means this is the single most important issue the Linux desktop faces. Until you don't realize this there won't be any hope for the success of the Linux desktop.
Also, there are simply not enough good desktop productivity tools out there. Many of the best-in-class Linux applications are "almost as good as their Windows counterparts." That isn't good enough, either.
Sounds as if the poster was quoting me ;-) 3. What is stopping Adobe and Autodesk from porting to Linux
I've talked to senior executives at companies like Adobe and Autodesk
about this question.
My understanding is that lack of market demand is the deal killer,
period.
So we are back to the start again, Linux needs a bigger market share and for that more applications, etc. It's obvious more applications don't come from the big guys so the desktop architects should concentrate on the small ISVs.
"Jeremy, even if you gave me a CD with a perfect version of my software for Linux, I would stick it on a shelf. The current market opportunity doesn't justify any of the costs a new platform would demand; development is the least of it."
Wine is important as an intermediate step in case of no other solutions but will never be accepted as the normal way. 4. Answer to "What is stopping ..."
So this reinforces the strategies we came up with at the DAM: Make it easy for "little" 3rd party developers to take advantage of the Linux niche. The Linux marketshare may be too small for the big players, but it may be very enticing to isv's that have been squeezed out of Windows. For them, Linux may prove to be large enough and worth the investment as it continues to grow. Thus our approach at trying to make it easier for ISVs to port through docs, standards, etc. is a good approach.
That's exactly I designed wyoGuide for. It might be not what you like but why not try to improve it so it may fit your purpose as well? 5. What *others* need in order to port to Linux?
Maybe the right question to ask is not what's hindering Autodesk, etc. but rather what other companies are struggling in their markets and are desperate for any marketshare at all, and then ask what *they* need in order to port to Linux?
Why not simply ask the ISVs? Why doesn't OSDL start another survey which asks all the big and small ISVs what the need to port their applications to Linux? Okay I'll start a list of questions for such a survey at "http://wyoguide.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/OSDL_survey_for_ISVs";. It might be a good idea to get some answers before the next DAM. 6. People using the linux desktop
on the other hand, there are a non-negligible number of people using
the linux
desktop now. apparently they number in the millions if the 1-5%
market share
numbers are to be believed.
You might remember that above 50% of the participants in the survey have Linux deployed while still requesting none-Linux applications. Since most of you don't believe my conclusions, it might be a good idea to ask these users "why" in another survey (see http://wyoguide.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/OSDL_survey_for_users). O. Wyss -- Application guidelines: http://wyoguide.sf.net/ _______________________________________________ Desktop_architects mailing list [email protected] https://lists.osdl.org/mailman/listinfo/desktop_architects
