I downloaded a copy of the Symphony install file today and nosed around the
Lotus web site so see that the Symphony software stores files in the Open
Document Format. It grew out of the software developed for Lotus Notes, as
opposed to being a port of SmartSuite. IBM joined in with the Open Office
effort, and this free Beta copy of Symphony they're offering is part of that.
It would be wonderful if IBM released SmartSuite as OSS, and for all we know
this Symphony release is a way to test the waters.
The large resource requirements, 512M RAM (not 1 Gig), is daunting at first
glance, and it's a far cry from the "write tight" days of the 640K limit of
MS-DOS. My take on it is that I'd trade eye candy for speed any day. The
original Lotus 1-2-3, written in assember for the 8088, screamed on '486
boxes, and that's how I did my billboard-sized spreadsheets, because Excel
wasted too many resources on eye candy and pretty Windows graphics. I'd hate
to see Symphony go that route.
I'm not an IT guy, but the computer is an important tool in my line of work as
a manufacturing process engineer in electronics manufacturing. I like to use
what works. For modeling the behavior of molten solder joints on ball grid
array packages, I had to set up a P3 box with SuSE, because all the software
out there had been developed in the UNIX world. AutoCAD is more or less the
gold standard for CAD, and for now, it's rooted in Windows. One of the guys
at work told me that AutoCAD is the only reason why he still has Windows.
Linux is indeed ready for the desktop, but not for all applications. AutoCAD
is one example. When my girlfriend's cheapie Acer went bluescreen with Win95,
I set her up with Knoppix installed on the hard drive. She couldn't spell KDE
at first, but liked it enough to ask me to install Linux on the Compaq she
eventually bought to replace the Acer.
For routine office-type work, my 1998-vintage P2 IBM 300GL running SuSE 10 at
home still outruns the dual-core P4 IBM Think Station running XP that I use
at work. I've been using Linux at home since 1999, upgrading from Caldera to
SuSE 9.0, then to SuSE 10.0, and I thought it was amazing that the I got a
whole OS and developers' tools for just $35 when I bought the Caldera back in
'99.
I switched to Linux because it works a lot better than anything that came out
of Redmond. At work I've seen Win98, NT, and XP systems go bluescreen,
including the NT partition on my home computer. The only problems I've had
with Linux have been self-inflicted from my own ignorance. Don't open a 100+
page PDF in GIMP. You'll run out of memory as it tries to make separate
windows for each page.
>From what I've seen, Linux users are gearheads, and I'm part of that crowd
because I change my own oil and service my car's shocks and brakes in the
driveway. Likewise, I compiled and linked an install of WordPerfect for UNIX
on this box. On the other hand, I don't have the skills or tools to replace a
crankshaft, and I'd rather not listen to razzing from guys who can. In
Windows, Microsoft welded the hood shut, and that rubs the Linux crowd the
wrong way. I can understand that.
Over the past eight years, I've seen a lot of software has crossed over, and
it's mostly a matter of time. In the Open Source world, things move a lot
slower. If you want a Linux equivalent to AutoCAD, and you're not willing to
pay Catia prices, then you better develop some patience and wait. Open Office
can fill the needs of most businesses, and if KDE can work for a peroxide
blonde working a receptionist's desk, then Linux has arrived on the desktop.
I see Linux moving toward to main subdivisions: Debian and RPM, and I agree
that there's too much divisiveness over distributions. From what I've seen,
RPM is a great tool to install software, and I imagine the Debian package
manager and Apt-Get is just as good. As a non-IT guy, I like what works with
the least hassle. A little standardization would do a lot of benefit for
Linux.
Meanwhile, let's stop beating each other up. It's OK to disagree, but spare
the vitriol. I've been using Linux since 1999 because it works for me, the
best tool for the job. If your favorite application is still locked up in the
Windows monopoly, either pitch in to change it, or stop griping.
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