[lug] Analysis of Windows servers.

[Sean Reifschneider]

On Sat, Oct 21, 2000 at 05:52:56PM +0000, Stephen G. Smith wrote:
>Where are the applications?

Where are the applications?!?  The last time I did a Windows install I
was shocked at how little disc space it used (while taking around 30 minutes
even).  Then of course I realized that installing Windows is like booting
from a DOS floppy -- you don't get much more than the operating system.

A Linux install running for 20 minutes will give you something over
500MB worth of applications...

I realize that you're question is meant as "Where are the (office/
productivity/whatever) applications".  Well, the companies that support
them have made a decision that they will only support Windows.  Until
the applications the users need are on Linux, I don't consider Linux to
be ready for the desktop.  Don't try to fit the cube into the round hole.
Linux isn't ready for the enterprise either.  Life at best is bitter-sweet.

I also realize that there are plenty of office packages.  There are a couple
of problems with this though...  First of all, while a typical user may
complain about FooOffice 2000 on Windows, you'll often find that they're
reluctant to change to something else.  That's the way people are.  The
other problem is that office applications aren't all that people do in
offices.  Contact management, accounting/billing, inventory control,
telephony, etc...  Tons of applications on Windows with very little
representation under Linux.

One could say that the applications you're looking for are available in
VMWare.  What good is running Windows under Linux you ask?  You can being
moving things off Windows as they make sense to move.  The more you've
moved off, the more you can do while waiting for the Windows portion to
reboot...

Sean
-- 
 Well son, a funny thing about regret is that it's better to regret something
 you HAVE done than regret something you haven't done.
Sean Reifschneider, Inimitably Superfluous <jafo at tummy.com>
tummy.com - Linux Consulting since 1995. Qmail, KRUD, Firewalls, Python