hehehehe what do you think? ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Ayson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2001 10:00 AM Subject: [PH-Cyberview] MS Office for Linux? :-)
> comment: But will Sun agree? :-) > > ------------------------ > > US states want MS Office ported to Linux > > source: Computer Weekly (UK) - cw360.com > > Wednesday 12 December 2001 > > The nine US states that want tougher remedies imposed on Microsoft are > attempting to weaken the software giant's desktop monopoly by giving the > Linux operating system something it can really use: Office. > > Microsoft's Office application has a market share as large as the Windows > operating system - more than 90% - and analysts have long seen Office as > one of the pillars supporting Windows' dominance. > > "[Porting Office to Linux] would propel Linux on the desktop", said Bill > Claybrook, an analyst at Aberdeen Group. The absence of Office "is the one > thing that keeps me from using Linux as my desktop machine", he added. > > However, some end-users are not so sure that a Linux version of Office > would make a big impact. > > "I think everybody in the world is probably looking for some competitive > desktop operating system, but I don't think that anybody wants to switch," > said Robert Hacker, a systems manager at Binney & Smith, which manufactures > Crayola crayons. > > While Hacker said the idea of moving to Linux is intriguing, he would have > to see a "critical mass" of adoption before he considers it. > > One reason many companies might have trouble moving to a Linux desktop is > because of other Windows-based applications. > > "We have lots of applications that are Windows-based," said Dan Orr, an IT > manager at Kokosing Construction. His company has about 700 desktops PCs, a > quarter of which run other critical Windows-based applications. > > Moving only some desktops to Linux would increase costs, said Orr. "I would > have two different operating systems to maintain. That would be tougher > than maintaining just one," he said. > > The remedy proposal, filed in a US District Court on 7 December, is an > alternative to the settlement reached by the Department of Justice (DoJ) > and half of the 18 US states originally involved. > > The dissenting states - California, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, > Florida, Kansas, Minnesota, West Virginia and Utah, plus the District of > Columbia - rejected the settlement and are continuing the court case. > > Other remedies sought by the states include requirements that Microsoft > make Internet Explorer open source and provide a stripped-down version of > its operating system free of middleware products, such as media players and > instant messaging tools. > > Microsoft would also have to submit to the oversight of a "special master", > a court-appointed official with more power then the three-member technical > committee called for in the DoJ settlement reached in November. > > The states' proposal does include some of the same stipulations called for > in the earlier settlement, including provisions that Microsoft fully > disclose its operating system interfaces and set uniform pricing for > Windows with PC makers. > > Microsoft already ports Office to Apple's Macintosh operating system, and > MIT management professor Michael Cusumano believes it should be up to the > company, not the government, to decide whether Office is ever ported to Linux. > > "If [porting to Linux] ends up being a losing proposition economically, > does the government end up reimbursing Microsoft?" said Cusumano. > > Citing Microsoft's decision to port to Macintosh, Cusumano added: "If > Microsoft thinks the application market is large enough and profitable > enough, they will port applications to that market. [But] it should be a > business decision, and I don't think the business case is there yet." > > David Smith, an analyst at Gartner, said the availability of Office on the > Mac platform has not spurred corporate adoption. "You've already got Office > on the Macintosh - has it really made the Macintosh?" asked Smith. "I don't > know of many corporations that want to get rid of Microsoft." > > Experts also see a problem with the states' proposal to require a > stripped-down version of Windows. "What features would you take out?" asked > Smith. > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- --- > jim ayson / [EMAIL PROTECTED] / www.philmusic.com > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > _ Philippine Linux Users Group. Web site and archives at http://plug.linux.org.ph To leave: send "unsubscribe" in the body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to the Linux Newbies' List: send "subscribe" in the body to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
