[ale] IE for Linux

[Mike Kachline]

> 
> > Not that I'm
> > against M$ building IE for linux, maybe more ignorant IS managers will say
> > "what's this -linux- thing?  I see that M$ supprts it, it must be good"
	This might be bad for Linux folks. If M$ produces an MSIE for 
Linux, then we will see a lot of first time Linux users jump on board, 
run Linux's IE, get either slow, kludgy performance, or at best, a 
product which only does *some* of the things that the Windows xx versions 
do. Consequently, after a few days of using a clipped MSIE, and fiddling 
around with trying to compile kernels s.t. they can dial into their PPP 
provider, these folks will say "this sucks", double click the "The 
Internet" icon on their desktop, then email their friends that the Linux 
MSIE version just isn't worth the effort.


> 
> 	Several times I've spoken to managers at my place of employment
> who, upon reading Microsoft's NT white papers, were aglow with excitement
> about all these new technologies MS is putting in NT. Like demand paging
> of executables, virtual memory, memory mapped files, dynamic linking,
> pre-emptive multi-tasking, &c.
	I agree with this. It's sad how M$ hypes up features in their 
OS's which have been around forever in *nix. The scary part is, for every 
*nix like feature which NT gains, it is one more reason why not to run *nix.


<snip> 
> database runs, namely UNIX. "If our server were on NT we wouldn't have
> these problems!"  has become their mantra. Their management believes them,
> despite lack of evidence.  The hype is working. 
	One word, ignorance. I honestly think that M$ has the upper hand
because they can produce products which are easy to set up. Take for
example, the learning curve associated with setting up a web browser. 
With almost anything running on an M$ machine, setting up browsers are as
easy as dropping a CD in the drive, then pushing the big, flashing "Set Up
Microsoft Internet Explorer" button (I even got music and sounds when I
popped in my CD). From there, maybe you have to tell it which drive to set
up on. At *absolute* worst case, one must download a self-extracting
executable, then, once it is downloaded, double click the "setup.exe"
icon. Click "Next", "Next", "Next", then "Ok", wait a while, then you are
ready to go.
	Now, what about a Linux box? To get Netscape, for instance,
usually I have to d/l a ".tar.gz" or ".tgz" file from netscape. *THEN*,
I've got to know how to use tar to "untar" the file (granted that I, or
anyone else in the office knows that "tar" must be used at all. Oh! And
I've got to use what? "gunzip" too?). THEN, if I'm somewhat concerned about
the filing method on my box, I've got to decide where to put this thing.
There are 3 "/foo/bar/bin" directories that I can think of which reside on
most Linux boxes (ie, /bin, /usr/local/bin, /usr/bin). Where do I put
netscape? Does it matter? Why are there three "/foo/bar/bin/" directories
anyways? Finally, once this is all said and done, hopefully we don't have
to do anything like delete old ".jar" files or such.
	My main point is that, compared to an app which runs on an M$ box,
there is usually an enormous learning curve associated with simply
installing just about any app on a *nux box. Most IS folks just don't have
the time, especially at work, to sit down and have to "screw around with
it" long enough to get anything working on a *nux box. They need 
solutions today, not just an installed app.
	Hence, the "We wouldn't have this problem if we were running NT" 
syndrome. IS folks know that if they run into a problem, they can either: 
A. Surf the net for answers, where, if they are running a "popular" 
package, they are more likely to find an answer. Or, B. Call the software 
vendor.
	Since the "Next","Next","Next" approach to software is a helluva 
lot easier than the "tar? gunzip? /foo/bar/bin?" approach, chances are, 
M$ software is going to be the most popular. Likewise, with M$ products, 
there is always someone to call and bitch out and, once you are done, 
write a check to for your answers. :)


						Just my $.02,
							- Mike
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Michael Kachline - CS, Georgia Tech
kachline at cc.gatech.edu
http://brightstar.gt.ed.net/kachline/
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