“Today, Microsoft presents users with a bewildering array of
end-user operating system options: Windows 95, Windows 98 SE,
Windows ME, Windows 2000 Professional and Windows CE. With so much
potential confusion, is it any wonder that people are beginning to
look at other end-user operating systems’ Corel Linux, a consumer’s
Linux, while far from a hit, has garnered a small following. As the
Unix desktop interface programs KDE and Gnome mature, we can look
forward to seeing even more user-friendly interfaces appearing on
top of Linux, the BSD OSes and Solaris.”
“Think that none of those are really suitable for a desktop’
Think again. Many hardware OEMs–like market leaders, Compaq, Dell,
Gateway and IBM–are now placing Linux desktops on PCs due to
customer demand. Even Sun, with its new Sun Ray line, is giving the
desktop market another try. Give users a familiar, Windows-like
interface–which you can do with both KDE and they can use with
both KDE and Gnome–and a low price tag, and you’ve got the making
of a Windows’ killer.”
“The usual response to that by Microsoft fans is, “But there
aren’t any applications!” Give me a break. You’ve got Sun’s Star
Office and VistaSource’s Applixware for office work, Netscape
Navigator for a browser and mail readers that aren’t susceptible to
Outlook Transmitted Diseases (OTD) like Melissa. That argument
hasn’t held water for years.“