[NTLUG:Discuss] Open Source

[Robert Pearson]

On Feb 1, 2008 10:21 AM, Chris Cox <cjcox at acm.org> wrote:
> Robert Citek wrote:
> > On Jan 31, 2008 11:04 PM, Chris Cox <cjcox at acm.org> wrote:
> >> I don't have a hard statistic.  But of the "knee jerk" revolution
> >> conversion crowd, those that got mad and made a mass conversion,
> >> a significant portion returned to Windows.  And... the problem with
> >> that is they won't be trying Linux again... at least not for a
> >> VERY long time.
> >>
> >> So... no sense putting a really bad taste in their mouth.  Better
> >> to put Linux into places where it's well suited... and as mentioned,
> >> there will be those who convert voluntarily.
> >
> > But linux isn't the only Open Source in town.  I too have had push
> > back from introducing linux in various places.  However, I have been
> > very successful in introducing Open Source applications on Windows,
> > including Open Office, FireFox, Thunderbird, and Gimp.  And since all
> > of those are available on PortableApps[1], it makes it really easy to
> > distribute by giving them a CD or USB key with the software on it.
>
> For me it's about 60/40.  60% success for example with Thunderbird.
> A lot of folks move back to Outlook (or Outlook Express)... which
> is just so troubling for me since it's almost guaranteed that your
> .pst files will get fried at some point.
>
> Gimp?  Well.... probably only in unrealistic cases where a
> computer professional doing graphics works is somehow "broke"
> (which is really weird if you think about it).  Gimp is nice,
> but it lacks key features for professionals (features that
> have patent or other hindrances... Pantone for example).
>
> For the amateur... shoot a lot of people can get by with Picasa's
> rudimentary tools... or if they need something more, they
> get Photoshop Elements (which likely they got for free with
> their computer).
>
> Firefox, much better success rate, but YOU HAVE TO HAVE
> MSIE for some sites.  And for many it's stupid things like
> sites that are critical to their business (sigh).

Have you used IEs4Linux? Has worked for me on all the government sites
requiring IE.
http://www.tatanka.com.br/ies4linux/page/Main_Page

> I do give out lots of copies of the OpenCD.  But did like it
> better when it was also a bootable/installable Ubuntu
> in addition to a free software CD (only so much room on a CD).
> I guess now we need the OpenDVD.
>
> >
> > Two recent cases:
> >
> > 1) a friend was preparing a manuscript for publication and running up
> > against a deadline.  He need to have some images modified and was
> > fretting on where to get a copy of Photoshop.  I gave him a copy of
> > PortableApps, fired up Gimp, modified the images, and away the
> > manuscript went.  I let him keep the USB stick.
> >
> > 2) another friend of mine directs a clinical lab.  She recently got a
> > PowerPoint presentation from a colleague that would not open in MS
> > Office.  Using Portable OpenOffice from her USB key, she was able to
> > view the presentation in Impress without a problem.
>
> Most recently I needed to "borrow" some pages from a protected
> PDF file <cough>.  Breaking PDF security is fairly trivial (did that
> oddly enough running a Windows program under Wine).  But converting
> the doc to something Word could use just made Word blow up (too
> much data causes Word to blow up).  OpenOffice to the rescue.  It
> read the massive amount of data and allowed me to save in a
> Word compatible format to save the day.
>
> Linux and FOSS are well suited to tasks like that (again, solving
> the impossible).

The lines are blurring.
I'm glad we have Robert ahead of the curve and on the mailing list.
Thanks...