The future of linux

[dmartin at ne.arris-i.com (Derek Martin)]

On 31 Jan 2000, Derek Atkins wrote:

> Derek,
> 
>  * Currently she uses AOL..  There is no AOL client for Linux.

My prejudices get in the way here too... no one should use AOL :)
However, this is not a shortcoming of linux, it is a shortcoming of AOL.
Then again, the type of people who currently use Linux tend not to use
AOL, so they have no reason to write a client -- ouruboros?  Never can
remember how to spell that... :)  Snake eating its own tail.

>  * She uses QuickBooks. There is no alternative for Linux

You've definitely got me here.  There isn't a good replacement.  There is
an alternative, GNUCash, but it's not ready for prime time.  Getting there
though.

>  * I think she may have some other third-party software which isn't
> available for Linux.

Probably, but can it be replaced by something that is available for Linux?
And again, this is a short-comming of the software vendor, not of linux
per se.  They are coming around, albeit slowly.  How do you fix that?
Write the vendor, I guess.  Though software vendors have been slower than
hardware vendors to come around.  But you can't fix that problem with
code, except for coding a replacement... 


-- 
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?"    "Who watches the watchmen?" 
-Juvenal, Satires, VI, 347 

Derek D. Martin      |  Senior UNIX Systems/Network Administrator
Arris Interactive    |  A Nortel Company
derekm at mediaone.net  |  dmartin at ne.arris-i.com
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