[Techtalk] Lindows/OS X/Linux and the future?

[Jenn Vesperman]

On Fri, 2002-03-15 at 06:10, Caitlyn Martin wrote:

> The whole thing that bothers me is that Lindows and any clones that come
> out defeat the whole purpose of Linux.  The idea, as far as I am
> concerned, is to have an open source, free operating system where I can
> take control of my own PC.  I want native applications to match.  I do
> not want to run proprietary code written for a proprietary OS.  There
> are very few things that the typical PC user does on Windows that can
> not be done at least equally well, if not better, using native Linux
> code.

However, there are a few things which I have found cannot be (yet)
effectively done with native Linux code.

In Australia, there is no Linux replacement for MYOB (Mind Your Own
Business), a business accounting package that handles our local tax
system, payroll, and various other things. That is updated when the law
changes. And all that mess.

I doubt there will ever be an Open Source/Free Software replacement,
because it pretty much requires a combination of an accountant, a
lawyer, and a team of programmers. And we don't have the -population- to
necessarily have such a team who all believe in OS and who want to do
the job, and stick with it, and update it frequently..

So in Australia, at least, I can see a definite use for something which
will run a native Windows app over Linux. If the company uses just this
one piece of Windows software.. well, that's terrific. But I wouldn't
make a company run without automated payroll just to be all-Linux.


Jenn V.
-- 
    "Do you ever wonder if there's a whole section of geek culture 
        	you miss out on by being a geek?" - Dancer.

jenn at anthill.echidna.id.au     http://anthill.echidna.id.au/~jenn/