NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: DAVE KEARNS ON NOVELL NETWARE TIPS 12/02/04 Today's focus: What's Novell Linux Desktop all about?
Dear [EMAIL PROTECTED], In this issue: * Inside Novell Linux Desktop * Links related to Novell NetWare Tips * Featured reader resource _______________________________________________________________ This newsletter is sponsored by Quest Software Yankee Group NDS to Active Directory White Paper This Yankee Group white paper provides business case justification and technology reasons to migrate legacy Novell NDS/eDirectory networks to Microsoft's Active Directory. The paper also examines the total cost of ownership and return on investment corporations can achieve with a switch to Active Directory. Get your white paper today. http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=89326 _______________________________________________________________ COMPREHENSIVE ENTERPRISE STORAGE INFORMATION Go to NW Fusion's Research Center for detailed information on enterprise storage. Find the latest breaking news, case studies, white papers, commentary, reviews and more. Topics on how ILM impacts your storage strategy, how to migrate to a new tape drive, how to link SAN islands and more are all found in the Research Center. Click here: http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=89339 _______________________________________________________________ Today's focus: What's Novell Linux Desktop all about? By Dave Kearns In the previous issue, I mentioned the new Novell Linux Desktop, which began shipping recently, so maybe we should take a closer look at it. While many of you would post guards on your server room door rather than migrate from NetWare to another platform, the desktop is a different kettle of fish. I know plenty of people who long for the days of DOS workstations. There's even still a few who like their OS/2 desktops. But there are many of you who run Windows on your users' machines and are looking for an alternative. NLD could be that alternative. NLD gives you the choice of installing either (or both) of two different GUIs - GNOME or KDE. Most longtime SuSE Linux users are more familiar with KDE, but the GNOME interface (championed by the folks from Novell acquisition Ximian) looks and feels more familiar to a Windows user, especially a non-tech one. Still, you can install all or part of either or both, and even mix and match parts of each. This did lead to some confusion on the part of some journalists and users (see the newsletter at <http://www.nwfusion.com/newsletters/netware/2004/1025nw2.html> ) who thought that Novell was creating a new GUI with elements of both GNOME and KDE. Instead, it's the user who can decide which elements of each to use - that's a real plus. The NLD distribution takes about 3 CD platters - down from the 5 that SuSE Professional edition takes. Much of the hobbyist-type material is left out - stuff the typical office worker wouldn't, couldn't and (in truth) shouldn't use. What is included is OpenOffice for office productivity as well as Novell's Evolution for e-mail and collaboration. Novell has also incorporated Ximian's Red Carpet update tool rather than the YAST tool traditionally used by SuSE Linux. That's also a plus, as the Red Carpet tool is much more intuitive (and automated) for the average user. Is NLD right for everybody? Probably not. As one person said: "Linux on the desktop has challenges still to overcome. The technology - the platform, the desktop environment, and several of the standard must-have applications - is certainly mature enough, but there are yet areas to conquer. The OpenOffice.org office suite is still not clean enough to satisfy a lot of avid Microsoft Office users. And the independent software vendors are not all on board with software (on the personal side think Quicken, iTunes, Audible.com, etc.; on the business side, it's line-of-business applications and vertical applications). Yes, open source alternatives exist, and are growing in maturity, but I am not an idealist who thinks that open source is always the best option. Business usually wants someone to back their mission-critical systems." Since this was said by Ted Haeger, NLD's director of marketing it would behoove us to listen. This is the tentative first step towards creating the open source business desktop. It's a good step and we'll keep watching to make sure there are more, better steps. RELATED EDITORIAL LINKS Novell Linux Desktop http://www.novell.com/products/desktop/ Do software users need indemnification? Network World, 11/29/04 http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/112904ecindemnify.html _______________________________________________________________ To contact: Dave Kearns Dave Kearns is a writer and consultant in Silicon Valley. He's written a number of books including the (sadly) now out of print "Peter Norton's Complete Guide to Networks." His musings can be found at Virtual Quill <http://www.vquill.com/>. Kearns is the author of three Network World Newsletters: Windows Networking Tips, Novell NetWare Tips, and Identity Management. Comments about these newsletters should be sent to him at these respective addresses: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. Kearns provides content services to network vendors: books, manuals, white papers, lectures and seminars, marketing, technical marketing and support documents. Virtual Quill provides "words to sell by..." Find out more by e-mail at <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> _______________________________________________________________ This newsletter is sponsored by SBC Dialing for Dollars CRATE & BARREL'S VOIP MOVE NETS SAVINGS AND FLEXIBILITY An apples-to-apples comparison showed that a centralized, software-based, IP-based platform could provide significant cost savings and productivity benefits over a comparable, traditional PBX system. Download whitepaper now, click here http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=88814 _______________________________________________________________ ARCHIVE LINKS Archive of the Novell NetWare Tips newsletter: http://www.nwfusion.com/newsletters/netware/index.html Novell news page The Novell news and analysis from Network World Fusion. http://www.nwfusion.com/news/financial/novell.html _______________________________________________________________ FEATURED READER RESOURCE COMPREHENSIVE ENTERPRISE STORAGE INFORMATION Go to NW Fusion's Research Center for detailed information on enterprise storage. Find the latest breaking news, case studies, white papers, commentary, reviews and more. Topics on how ILM impacts your storage strategy, how to migrate to a new tape drive, how to link SAN islands and more are all found in the Research Center. Click here: <http://www.nwfusion.com/topics/storage.html> _______________________________________________________________ May We Send You a Free Print Subscription? You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered at your fingertips each day. Now, extend your knowledge by receiving 51 FREE issues to our print publication. Apply today at http://www.subscribenw.com/nl2 International subscribers click here: http://nww1.com/go/circ_promo.html _______________________________________________________________ SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World e-mail newsletters, go to: <http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/Changes.aspx> To unsubscribe from promotional e-mail go to: <http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/Preferences.aspx> To change your e-mail address, go to: <http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/ChangeMail.aspx> Subscription questions? Contact Customer Service by replying to this message. 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