“He’s renowned for his frenetic pace, but Michael
Cowpland, founder of software developer Corel Corp.,
says this time patience will pay off with market gains
when his firm releases its first Linux product in
November.”
“Corel Linux, software that makes the complex operating system
easier to use on desktop computers, is expected to ship in
November. That will be followed by WordPerfect Office for Linux in
early 2000 and software packages, such as graphics, later that
year.
Corel wants to bring Linux to the mainstream. If just 10 percent
of the 100 million PCs shipped annually carry Linux, that also
opens the door for sales of Corel software that runs on that
technology.”
“With the plummeting cost of computers and the advent of free
PCs that come with Internet subscriptions, manufacturers need a
cheap operating system to keep down expenses. Linux fits
that bill and Corel’s advantage is offering a so-called “dual
boot” system that allows a user to pick either Windows or
Linux.”