RE: tlug: X Windows client

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <turnbull@example.com>]

>>>>> "Michael" == Michael Chiu <mchiu@example.com> writes:

    Michael> Wow... talk about expensive....

Not at all, I just dropped $2995 (of my own) for an economic
simulation package for Linux.  Unfortunately they don't have a
Japanese vendor, so I didn't have the option of getting the U to pay
for it (at a guess 400,000 yen, that's about the ratio that my
colleagues pay for the stats packages and stuff that are available
from Japanese vendors).  And that's cheap as these things go....

    Michael> but I think the trend is moving more towards M$ Windows
    Michael> as can be seen with the amount of software available for
    Michael> Windows platform compared to the Linux/X-Windows
    Michael> platform... :(

What do you mean by "amount of software"?  What classes of apps on
MS-Windows don't have substitutes (perhaps currently of inferior
quality) on Linux?

Don't be confused by the fact that M$-related vendors can afford
megabucks for ads in high-profile magazines, and even TV spots.

Most vendors I know of now make Linux versions of their software
(although I had to spend a few days of email conversation to get the
install program for the aforementioned package to work; they usually
don't do very much checking to make sure it actually _works_ on Linux
once they get it to compile :-( ).  But they're not going to mention
that in their TV spots---that would chase away the lu$er$.

Sure there's lots of junkware available for Windows, and Windows or
OS/2 was the platform of choice for low-end CAD last I heard.  Windows
is obviously the platform of choice for content-based CD-ROM stuff
(electronic books, games and the like)---I don't think Nintendo would
make a lot of money on a game that could be downloaded over the net
from Linux server.  But we'll see ways around that in the near future
I expect.

I doubt that AOL will be releasing a Linux version of their user
interface any time soon, nor will Nifty$erve.  But WHO CARES ?!??  :-)

Steve
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