Posted on 11/23/2004 1:10:09 AM PST by Eagle9
Linux operating-system producer Linspire Inc. has found another way to challenge Microsoft: it's offering its OpenOffice.org product suite and the Mozilla Foundation's Firefox browser in a single package in retail channels.
Linspire, formerly called Lindows, positions its OOoFf package to directly compete with Microsoft Office. The OpenOffice.org product enables users to create spreadsheets, presentations, and documents using files in popular formats, including .doc, .xls and .ppt. The Linspire product also enables users to utilize the PDF format.
"Our goal with OOoFf is to help get OpenOffice.org and Firefox into every possible distribution channel," said Linspire CEO Michael Robertson in a statement Monday. "As users grow comfortable with these high-quality open-source products, it makes the migration to desktop Linux a much more practical transition."
The combo OOoFf consists of an installation CD-ROM, documentation materials, and Flash tutorials. The software is compatible with Windows 98 and higher and Mac OS X 10.2 and higher.
Firefox has been downloaded by more than 10 million users, and the browser has taken some market share from Microsoft's Internet Explorer. The Linspire Linux-based operating system has been designed for desktop and laptop computers, and the firm said the new Firefox- OOoFf package should help spur the growth of its Linux operating system.
Actually, I laugh at them, and then I install Red Hat Enterprise Linux on their desktop instead. And I'm the IT manager.
if a business cannot afford the standard then it is understandable. otherwise it just doesn't make sense to go with something like 'lindows' that has to change it name every few months or years?
also, I looked into lindows a few years ago & the 'click-and-run' software that was mentioned was a subscription thing that required a monthly payment of something like $10 or $15 a months. Now is that a load of crap or what?
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"LINUX = COMMUNIST"
I'm failing to understand that one.
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You don't need to understand it, just accept it as fact, just like "Libertarian = Doper".
Well, I guess you get what you pay for, huh? I haven't seen such drivel as this in months. What I really can't understand is why he sticks to his "points" so tightly. People have already proven him wrong quite soundly.
Speaking of that. I installed Mandrake 10.1 Official this past weekend, and it seems to be the best Linux Desktop OS I've seen thus far. It's very fast, and seems to be rock solid. It was very nice to my hardware too!
Before with Linux I would put it on a small partition and just use it as a hobby of sorts. After giving the new Mandrake a try I'm VERY close to making it my primary OS and dropping Windows all together. It's that good!
Problem is, I have no idea how file management works, where things are located, how to install programs, what to do when something goes wrong, etc., etc. I need a tutor; just don't have the energy to take on another OS at this point. And then there's the loss of apps which are central to my computing, like dedicated financial apps, bible prog, etc.. Don't see how the deal can fly for me; critical mass not yet reached.
I still say the fastest browser is Opera. I sometimes use it's built in e-mail client, you can add a plug in for spell-checking, you have advanced mouse clicks, its something that just keeps improving over time, much faster than IE. But I will say, I do like Firefox, its missing just a few of the feautres of Opera, but does a little better job handling some websites.
Both Open Office and Firefox will run under Windows 98. Windows is the first on the drop down list for operating systems for Open Office.
http://download.openoffice.org/1.1.3/index.html
For Firefox, the link for the Windows version is currently on the Mozilla front page; you have to dig for the Linux version.
http://www.mozilla.org/
I hear great things about Opera, but I detest ads and refuse to pay for functionality I can get free elsewhere.
Amateurs? I know some people who code for Linux/Open Source. They are neither amateurs nor partime programmers, quite the opposite in fact.
So be carfull with your labels. The truth will surprise you.
As for budgets, even the largest corps are concerned with the bottom line. If they can get the same bang for the buck or less, you know they'll consider it closely. In fact many large corporations have outsourced their IT due to budgets and the fact that they're locked into M$ and their ever increasing pricing structures doesn't help.
So again, looking for alternatives to lessen those expenditures will *always* be an option.
The Microsoft Office product can hardly be referred to as a "standard". It is not intuitive, lacks functionality, and was specifically designed to bundled so as to destroy some of MS's competition. Corel Office products are vastly superior to MS'.
Once a misguided salesperson for DELL, when I was purchasing a computer, asked me if I wanted to "upgrade" my Corel Office Suite to MS Office. He was surprised to learn that I considered it to be a "downgrade" and that I wasn't interested. Surprising what a little propaganda and the misuse of the word "standard" will do.
If you choose Xandros, you can use Cross-Over Office to keep certain Windows aps on Linux. Or if you have Windows 98 you can run it on top of Linux with Netraverse's Win4Lin so you get the best of both worlds. Your choice.
Conjecture as to what will happen is entertaining, but most people live in the here & now.
So sorry about that but for the desktop, right now there is Windows...then there is whatever else is out there which is only about 5% of market share.
IMO, Linux would do very well to set up local user/advocacy clubs to offer a leg up to newcomers. I'm at the point where my initiative to take on a huge shift in computing habits is near nil. I need to see the OS modeled IRL. I suspect there are many who for various reasons would be in about the same boat. The demand has to be ratcheted up in order the whole thing to reach critical mass.
you must like to do things hardway. I guess that's interesting. I don't have time to remember all those keystrokes. there are too many applications to remember all the keystokes. you equate harder way of doing as interesting.
do you walk to your work since it's harder. I mean, why ride a car, bus, plane,... why don't you just walk all over the place. In fact, why use computer. why don't you just use paper.
That's right in line with Linus Torvalds' own philosophy of Linux. From his announcement of Linux 0.02:
Do you pine for the nice days of Minix-1.1, when men were men and wrote their own device drivers? ... Are you finding it frustrating when everything works on Minix? No more all-nighters to get a nifty program working? Then this post might be just for you.
Yes, Linux - and its fans - are not interested in ease of use. Instead, they're interested in making things more and more difficult and dense and impenetrable.
Why not? Microsoft did.
i had the opportunity to use lindows or linspire at a public library. it's bad stuff. if i were microsoft i wouldn't worry.
on my pc i recently downloaded firefox because often explorer would say that a web site wasn't available. trying again, it would work.
now, the same thing happens to firefox.
so what gives? i have a new 64mhz 'puter.
That is rather slow, My AMD64 processors run at 2 GHZ......
So did I, retired from the Company a few years back.
But they send me a thank you gift every month now.
I have copy of Xandros, haven't installed it on anything as yet...hoping it has better multimedia support than Fedora Core 2.....
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