“There’s something I find myself wondering about every now and
again: why do we need more software? Don’t we already have enough
software? I would like to see the free software library grow
every day, and with any luck, I’ll be a contributor. But I wonder
if what we really need is “another office application,” or “a more
friendly interface.“
“I personally did not start using Linux until a few months ago,
but this is the way I see things now. We have at least five office
suites, each great in their own right: Gnome Office, KOffice,
Applix, WordPerfect Office, and Star Office. These are not even all
the choices available, and if I hear correctly, Microsoft and an
Israeli company by the name Mainsoft might end up porting MS Office
to Linux.”
“It looks like there’s about to be six times as many choices for
office apps for Linux users as there are for Windows users. Office
software is great, but too much of a good thing can be bad. If
these suites’ supported file formats are not the same (or
interchangeable), then what I see happening in the business field
is MS Office becoming the de facto standard again. Home users will
always make room for free software, but businesses want to be as
interchangeable as possible.”