1. For simple tasks, KOffice 1.2 actually does a pretty good job. (The
screen settings need to be re-configured, but this is your speciality,
Geroge.)
2. I am a desktop person. When I started playing with Linux 5 years
ago (running WordPerfect 7 on RedHat 4.2), it always puzzled me why
people put so much fuss about firewalls (wouldn't a simple script line
DENY:ALL do the job?) Indeed, this the exactly the kind of attitude
most Linux gurus have towards Linux desktops: Wouldn't
StarOffice/OpenOffice do everything?
3. StarOffice started with a hopelessly bloated code mass, unless Sun
is willing to re-write the entire code, it is not going to replace
Microsoft Office. Unfortunately, most Asian office suite makers (e.g.,
ChineseOffice 2000, Hancom Office, Red Flag, etc.) are only interested
in making superficial changes to OpenOffice (and charging $$$ for their
products) without addressing the fundamental issues. This is not going
to help moving Linux to the desktops. (Many Taiwanese governmental
entities, including their Department of Justice, took a close look at
StarOffice, and decided they are not ready to even consider Linux as a
viable desktop option.)
4. As I mentioned elsewhere, Corel really holds the key to the success
of business Linux desktops. A few months ago, the Corel executive, who
has been consistently refusing to engage in any meaningful conversations
with me regarding another native Linux port of WordPerfect, was fired.
As a result, Corel's CEO Derek Burney has changed his tone and promised
to take another look at WordPerfect/Linux if a potential Linux desktop
exists.
5. At the present time, the only viable way to implement a business
Linux desktop is through Win4Lin (version 4.0.1+). Unfortunately, there
are no available kernel patches at the present time that will allow
Win4Lin to work with either RedHat 8.0 or Mandrake 9.0. Interestingly,
as a result of this, I am going to test Libranet 2.7. (My friend Leon
Goldstein has just written an article on Linux Journal highly prasing
Libranet 2.7.)
As I am writing this, I have given them my credit card number,
downloaded the two ISOs, and burned them onto CDs. Libranet--among all
the possible Linux distros and after I have spent so much time on Red
Hat and particularly Mandrake?
Joe Linux wrote:
I think the main issue still is a good word processor. I have been
working on an important letter in Open Office, and I'm often
frustrated by some of the things that are going on with it.
Details:
Screen refresh is messed up from time to time with menus stuck on top.
Unable to cut from Galeon and paste into Open Office. (works with Abi
Word)
Spell checker failed to function at some point in time, but worked
after a re-launch.
Document formatting difficult to control.
Basically Open Office is marginal and doesn't compare to WP on Windows.
W. Wayne Liauh wrote:
I have been thinking about putting together an "almost state of the
art" PC and placing it at our State Bar office to bring the awareness
to our bar membership of a possible Linux office solution, which, at
least potentially, should offer the lure of better security and
better cost-effectiveness. (Cost is a very important factor here.
Our parent firm in Houston pays about $110K for new hires, here, the
best starting salary I heard is $72.5K.)
Before I do that, I would like to put that Linux office machine in a
semi-publicly accessible place such as Midpac (Warren? Tom?) so that
many would-be consultants can kick its tires before offering their
services to at least the bar members.
I will be out of town most of October. Suggestions will be greatly
appreciated.
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