[ale] Open Source Apps

[Dow Hurst]

My user base is very educated and small (7 users).  I have a 
mix of technologies and have found this:

My people:

hate/despise viruses, cracks and value security.
want to use apps they know.
will pay for non-buggy, easy to use apps.
want ultimate compatibility with everyone else.
want to get work done.
hate/despise not getting work done. ;-)

So, as Linux apps fit into those categories, we have added 
them.  If I could get a Endnote clone, with all it's ease of 
use to work with Openoffice, and if Rosetta Stone Italian 
software was available for Linux, then I could switch my 
boss over to Linux.  She'd be happy with that.  The Mac OSX 
guy with the Ti laptop wouldn't change, no way.  If some 
particular kids game software was availabe for Linux and 
also Dragon Naturally Speaking then I'd have one researcher 
hands down.  The others use Linux/Unix/Windows for certain 
applications they know.

So, my conclusion is that, for highly educated people driven 
to work hard, the apps that they know and will do the job 
drive the choice.  Everyone in our research group is 
drooling over having a fast Linux graphics workstation at 
home or on a laptop so they can run our main modelling 
application Schrodinger's Maestro/Macromodel/Jaguar.

People who don't know about what is available on Linux need 
to know.  They need all their apps to run under Linux or 
have easy to learn and use equivalents.  This should be the 
year of FAQs and solid instructional help development for 
the present Linux apps, such as KDE, OpenOffice, Mozilla, 
Scribus, put your app here, so that they can drive 
acceptance.  Every person I've met that has taken the plunge 
and gotten enough help to get over the hump of the learning 
curve so they were productive have been so amazed at the 
power, stability, and quality of a Linux based machine.  It 
is the time to get productive again and understanding how to 
make the machine work for you that is the barrier.

End of rant, and have nice weekend fiddling with Linux and 
not fixing Windows.
Dow


-- 
__________________________________________________________
Dow Hurst                  Office: 770-499-3428            *
Systems Support Specialist    Fax: 770-423-6744            *
1000 Chastain Rd. Bldg. 12                                 *
Chemistry Department SC428  Email:   dhurst at kennesaw.edu   *
Kennesaw State University         Dow.Hurst at mindspring.com *
Kennesaw, GA 30144                                         *
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