[Cialug] The killer APP?

[Tom Pohl]

I just need a web browser that works *just* like internet exploder  
(excluding security exploits of course) so I can use my web version of  
Quickbooks.  Unfortunately, there are key websites in the world that  
believe in only supporting one browser type and have no qualms about  
not supporting anything else.  While people will say, "Hey you need to  
support xyz to be compatible with the world" the websites look at the  
cost-effectiveness of the development effort and decided that it is NOT  
in their best interest. I've been on projects that require  
cross-browser support and the 80/20 rule most certainly applies! (80%  
of development effort is devoted to cross browser support instead of  
actual features).

At the beginning of the year, I switched to a powerbook as my ONLY  
"desktop" machine and I *love* it!  It truly is *nix on the desktop.   
Of course because of proprietary software, I also run Virtual PC for  
those few apps that need to run on windows.  Also, I run several  
variants of linux in virtual pc to create my own personal, portable  
test environment.  I like to think of my machine as a BSD box with the  
Aqua window manager :)  Until the world comes to the realization that  
everyone needs to get along under a common set of standards (read  
*never*) any power user on a non-windows desktop either will likely  
need something that can only run under a windows environment.  Of  
course, right now, when I have to fire up my virtual machine every time  
I want to run something under windows, I'm motivated to find a native  
program that can replace my need for windows, but I'm not hampered from  
getting the job done.  Tighter integration from the parent os to  
windows applications using projects like WINE are very attractive  
because it eliminates the stigma of "running windows" BUT it does make  
running those one or two programs a little easier.

Let's all remember why we're not running the microsoft operating system  
in the first place. <place reason here> and *that* is why I'm not  
worried about the emulator being an app killer :)

-Tom


On Nov 10, 2004, at 6:30 PM, David Champion wrote:

> 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
>
>
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