IT Job creations... IT job losses?

[CLIFFORD ILKAY]

At 21:38 01/11/2003 +0200, Peter L. Peres wrote:

>On Sat, 1 Nov 2003, CLIFFORD ILKAY wrote:
>
> > responsive by pre loading many of the DLLs that Office uses when Windows is
> > started so that when a user launches Excel, it just appears as opposed to
> > grinding away for 22 seconds (I timed it) before the user sees a
> > spreadsheet. Koffice looks promising because it is tightly integrated with
>
>Small nitpick: OO is written in Java afaik, and most of the time is spent
>by the Java hulk stepping out of its package(s). If OO would be written in
>C++ and statically linked (shudder) it should come up at about disk speed,
>assuming the right optimizations are used, just like Excel on M$.
>
> > So, is Linux ready for the desktop? My answer is "It depends." For the
> > average user who just types letters, uses e-mail, uses a browser, and maybe
> > uses spreadsheets, using decent hardware, sure. We have replaced green
> > screen terminals, and Windows and Mac OS desktops with Linux desktops and
> > no one has gone back but, we have been careful to not oversell Linux.
>
>So who is the average user who is not so average and what apps does he
>need that requires M$ ?

I have a client who uses some very sophisticated (and expensive ~ 
$80,000/seat) CAD/CAM software that has little chance of ever running on 
Windows. Though he would love to run Linux, it would be crazy for him to do 
that because it would effectively kill his business. Yes, Linux is great 
and can leap over tall buildings and all that but, the biggest disservice 
we can do to Linux is to claim that it is suitable for all situations and 
users. If an organization has vertical market software that runs only on 
Windows or Mac OS, it is unlikely that the organization is going to ditch 
Windows or Mac OS in favour of Linux. Our success in replacing Windows and 
Mac OS desktops has been in areas where the users do a very limited number 
of tasks, typically clerical, and the users do not know Windows or Mac OS 
particularly well either. If they are a little familiar with Windows or Mac 
OS, I have found it to be more difficult to gain their acceptance of Linux.

Regards,

Clifford Ilkay
Dinamis Corporation
3266 Yonge Street, Suite 1419
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M4N 3P6

Tel: 416-410-3326 

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