On Wed, 12 Nov 2003, Richard Troth wrote: > Date: Wed, 12 Nov 2003 11:57:52 -0600 > From: Richard Troth <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Reply-To: Linux on 390 Port <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: Linux ready for the desktop: IBM > > IFF what you need is a Unix desktop, then Linux is ready. > > When I started with BMC in late Spring of 1995, > the resources available to me were a bit limitted: > I had a 31xx series (IBM, coax) terminal. But while that was fine > for my VM tasks, it didn't facilitate my Unix responsibilities. > Next I got an HP X terminal. This was ... usable. I wanted a Sun. > Never got one. For the Unix desktop, Sun was king at that time, > with AIX and HP fighting it out for second place. > > Eventually, I got a shiney new HP Vectra (PC), which came with > Windows installed, if I recall. Having used Linux for some time > in previous work, I straight away installed it in a dual-boot config, > but wound up using it more than Windows. Linux was faster and more > stable than Windows. [preaching to the choir, I know] But I was, > and still am, in the most techno part of the company. > > Since that time, Linux has served as my Unix desktop host system, > though I try to maintain an agnostic stance. For many things, > it really doesn't matter whether the host is Linux, AIX, Solaris, > IRIX, or HP-UX. My preferred WM would be FVWM just out of principle, > and it is available, but I wind up on KDE as a matter of practicality. > VNC adds disconn/reconn flexibility. (Try THAT with Windows.) > I have a clean, robust, and well featured Windows 2000 image > available via multi-boot. I rarely use it.
I'm writing this in PINE/VIM using VNC through a modem to modem connexion - it's slow, but usable. It's also the reason I'm not bothering with pruning. You can use VNC clients and servers on Windows, my mate whose office contains my remote modem does so. There's also a client for OS/2, and there are also Java clients usable via NS, IE etc. > > This is not perfect. (Linux is not ready?) I am looking for a > better e-mail program. I *like* MS Outlook. Would be using Outlook Tried Evolution? > if I could get the native Win/2K partition (SCSI) attached to a VMware > guest. (SCSI issues with physical partitions and VMware. Long story.) > For MS Word, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint, the functionality of > OpenOffice is sufficient. Acrobat is Acrobat: Works well on Linux > (on any Unix?) though is less pretty around the edges. I've heard OOo has better compatibility, though I've no tried it yet. -- Cheers John. Join the "Linux Support by Small Businesses" list at http://mail.computerdatasafe.com.au/mailman/listinfo/lssb Copyright John Summerfield. Reproduction prohibited.
