[Cialug] The killer APP?

[David Champion]

Mark Hesseltine wrote:

> On Wed, 10 Nov 2004 10:32:27 -0600, Lee <leeh@csi-rics.com> wrote:
> 
>>Reading the following article brings up the old question what will be the
>>killer APP for Linux on the desktop? The article is about Adobe's efforts to
>>get more involved in the Linux desktop market. But I think it's important to
>>note that Adobe brings an important market segment with it. However the side
>>effect may be a cut into Apple, SGI and Suns share.
>>
>>http://news.com.com/Adobe+dipping+toes+into+desktop+Linux+waters/2100-7344_3
>>-5435397.html
>>
> 
> I'd say the killer application for Linux would be a 100% flawless
> WINE. This would allow companies that have that one "must have,
> mission critical" application that runs on a Windows platform to
> migrate, without scrapping out a currently tested and running system.
> 
> Perfect WINE would help those who "need" the Adobe publishing
> products, the Microsoft Office (complete with macros, VBA, etc.), or
> custom customer service, billing, etc. applications.
> 
> Of course, all of this is just my personal opinion, and probably a
> rose-colored view of WINE, considering the lack of complete
> documentation available to the developers.

IMHO, WINE isn't a linux killer app, it's a linux app killer. Why write 
a replacement app, when you can just run the original in an emulator.

For the enterprise desktop, you can just as easily run that "one last 
app that won't run on Linux" in Centrus or Terminal Server and connect 
from a Linux desktop (or Windows, or Mac, or...)

What Linux / OSS really needs is a good Access / FoxPro / dBase / 
FileMaker type desktop database application. There are a lot of things 
you can do with those that just aren't as easy as using an SQL server, 
and are too big or complex for a spreadsheet (spreadsheets != databases 
anyway).

A lot of people look down their noses at FoxPro... I've been using it 
since the Foxbase+ days (about 12 years?). It lets you do a lot quite 
efficiently - from writing data driven apps, to doing data manipulation 
/ conversions. There have been rumors that MS is going to kill off VFP 
for the last 10 years (originally it was rumored that they just intended 
to buy it and bury it, and switch everyone to VB & Access), but their 
still releasing new versions - including VFP .NET.

Adobe will eventually come around and release some products for Linux.

-dc