“Software maker Corel is a lot like some rock ‘n’ roll
bands. It had one monster hit a few years ago and has tried
desperately ever since to duplicate its early success.”
“In Corel’s case (nasdaq: CORL), the big hit was CorelDraw,
graphics software that debuted in 1989 and gave PC users the
ability to do graphic design. Since then, Corel has changed
strategies all too frequently. … When network computers (pitched
as simpler, cheaper PCs) were a hot topic in the mid-1990s, Corel
started a hardware division to build them and the software that ran
on them. … And when the idea of desktop Java applications–Java
is a programming language invented by Sun Microsystems (nasdaq:
SUNW)–were all the rage a few years ago, Corel dove in
headfirst.”
“Now it’s betting its future on Linux, the free operating system
that, like network computers and Java, is surrounded by a
tremendous amount of buzz. It?s a risky bet. Corel is holding out
most promise on the use of Linux as a desktop operating system. Its
OS is called Corel Linux. That pits it directly against Microsoft
(nasdaq: MSFT) and its Windows franchise. That?s a daunting
prospect, and it’s not even clear that users want to run Linux as a
desktop operating system. “