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Re: [TCLUG:361] Re: Fwd: [TCLUG:352] Promoting Linux to businesses




One thing to consider when trying to convert IS shops and
companies to Linux is their concern for retraining people.
Whenever I read anything about the decision making process
of even upgrading to another version of Windows, the discussion
always comes around to the cost of retraining people to use
the new environment.  Apparently, this seems to be a big
expense.  You have to consider that many users of the
system are not inclined to embrace new technology and
therefore are not incentivised to take it on themselves
to explore and learn a new environment.  This, then
translates to expensive handholding for an IS department.

We also always come down to what applications run in the
Linux environment.  When talking to my brother, an attorney
in Los Angeles, about his PC troubles which largely result
from his use of Win95, I bring up Linux as a possible
alternative.  This immediately dies into silence because,
like a broken record, we go over the same ground.  Where
are the applications he needs to run for his law practice?
This same scenerio plays out with anybody I encounter who
really needs to use their computer as a tool for real
world (non-computer) work.  I find this myself, even as
an avid Linux user.  I am continually having to boot
Win95 in order to run Finale97 for music notation or
Cakewalk for sequencing.

Overcome this in ways that address the problems in terms
of the user's world (and not how we want it to be) and
more people might listen.  For me, this means that either
Coda Music and Cakewalk have to port their apps to Linux,
or I or others have to spend all our free time (?!) writing
these apps.  The apps many people use are highly polished
and do what they need done.  We can bitch about Win95 or
WinNt crashing, etc, but when it comes to "brass tacks",
these OSs have the market and the apps that people really
use.  Again, I am an avid Linux user, but find it necessary 
to run Win95 when creating music.  My brother struggles 
with recovering from Win95 and Win NT crashes when running
the West Law Library software and various big, serious
law database and search software.  But, he has no equivalent
in the Linux world.  These are just two examples.

I would love to see Linux as the solution to my brother's
probelms, my musical needs, and suitable for companies to
embrace on a large scale.  But, I have to admit that I
would rather spend what free time I have using my computer
to make music than writing the software to do it for another
OS.  Coda Music and Cakewalk (in addition to all the other
app vendors out there) have set a damn high standard that
will take an enormous effort to match in the Linux world.


Tony