“So are you seeing any filtering down of Linux starting
to appear on workstations? I guess the resistance to that being the
time demand in training the Windows- and Mac-literate to become
Linux-literate. “
“MA: “I think the migration onto the desktop will happen. A
computer is essentially a tool, and the thing that makes it run,
that makes it usable, is the software. Today, there is an
incredible amount of applications are appearing on Linux, and the
environment is actually very similar to Microsoft Windows and
Macintosh, so people who are generally computer literate and
understand icons, menus etc. don’t have huge difficulties in
migrating over. The vast majority of desktop users basically do the
same things over and over again, day in day out. “
“Also, KDE is one example of a desktop environment that is quite
well developed and constantly being improved, and is simple to use.
[…] So I think the migration question is very much going to be
driven by the applications, but the more difficult aspect is from
the systems level. You have a thousand Windows machines on your
enterprise – how do you change them all over night to Linux? Do you
even want to change them all over at once or partially? That, I
think, is the more difficult part. But, the use of Linux on the
desktop is increasing substantially – the server market is by far
the strongest, but all these additional applications and tools and
GUI applications are helping to drive the desktop market.”