Re: Microsoft's OS competitors

On Mon, 28 Apr 1997, Phil Stripling <philip[_at_]crl.com> wrote:
>
> Terry Carroll <carroll[_at_]tjc.com> wrote:
> >
> > On Thu, 24 Apr 1997, E. L. Oliver <oliver[_at_]dolphin.upenn.edu> wrote:
> > >
> > > Already anecdotaly, Linux use is running very high among the
> > > computer science/hacker culture and MkLinux is available for
> > > Macintosh and other ports of Linux are in the work to make it a
> > > ubiquitous Unix platform.
> >
> > Not just "in the works": I'm running Linux on a DEC Alpha box.
>
> Unfortunately, the issue of Oses isn't the OS itself, it's the
> applications. I've looked at Linux as a substitute for MS Windows, but
> I think I'm trapped -- There are few applications available for Linux;
> I can get a word processor, spreadsheet, drawing program, and so on,
> but the bulk of the applications available for lawyers runs on Windows.

The idea behind the Wine project that was previously discussed is to run those applications under Wine for Linux instead of under Windows.

The likelihood of success of implementing that idea is another thing altogether.

I think E.L.'s comment was to the effect that, if Linux can become as ubiquitous as Windows, applications for Linux will become available (I think -- I don't want to put words in E.L.'s mouth^h^h^h^h^h keyboard).

I rather doubt, however, that Linux will become anywhere near as ubiquitous as Windows for end users.

--
Terry Carroll       | "The invention provides means for continuously
Santa Clara, CA     | trapping sparrows and supplying a cat and 
carroll[_at_]tjc.com     | neighborhood cats with a supply of sparrows."
Modell delenda est  |                - U.S. Patent no. 4,150,505