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List:       kde-promo
Subject:    Re: [kde-promo] Who are KDE's main competitors?
From:       Segedunum <segedunum () actuaria ! co ! uk>
Date:       2004-12-05 23:58:31
Message-ID: 41B3A0A7.80806 () actuaria ! co ! uk
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Navindra Umanee wrote:

> Are you implying that the claims were false?

Yes - I certainly am. I know for a cast-iron fact that their claims in the UK about \
deploying the JDS for the NHS were total BS. At most it was simply a trial, and \
Microsoft's consultants worded the requirements in such a way that only Windows and \
Office could fulfil requirements (by specifying Windows and Ofice specific terms) \
even if the JDS provided something functionally equivalent :).

> If Sun could displace KDE desktop deployments in a organisation with JDS, do you \
> think they  would do it?

Wo, wo - hold the phone. I think we've heard too much of this KDE displacement thing \
over the years - the total BS over Largo for one thing. As an aside, I actually wrote \
the guy there (can't remember his name) a long extended e-mail about KDE, its \
technology and the applications he could be using together with the backing of a \
company like Suse matched up to his requirements. From that I got an insight about \
the rubbish he'd been fed (Open Office is a Gnome application etc.) and managed to at \
least convince him of his options. He seemed to appreciate it greatly, which was \
good.

The vast majority, and I mean close to 100% of the corporate world that everyone \
seems to shout about on these stupid forums, is Windows. No one is displacing KDE (or \
even Windows). We should be so lucky! That's something I've been absolutely bemused \
about with the Ximian people over the years. When close to 100% of the business world \
is Microsoft, what does it say for the future of desktop Linux when a company starts \
shouting about a non-existent move from KDE to Gnome (they actually used both \
anyway)? I think they've done a huge amount of damage to be honest, and they've been \
very lucky where they've ended up.

Now, we're faced with the situation where Linux on the desktop (whatever that desktop \
happens to be) can provide compelling cost savings to businesses and really make them \
feel as if computing is a part of their infrastructure, and not something to pour \
money down the drain with. There is real future opportunity there, and it's something \
I've thought about a fair bit over the past few months as I've slaved away with \
little sleep contracting on financial development with .Net (no it isn't the greatest \
thing since sliced bread, but I've got paid :)). How this can be done is something \
that will require careful thought, as the current business desktop world depends on a \
lot of Windows specific technology. Companies like Suse/Novell, Trolltech, the KDE \
community and smaller companies will have to get together and look long and hard \
about how this can be done, and soon. Companies like Xandros, Lycoris and Lindows may \
want to join in but I'm not convinced they're looking at open source development in \
the right way.

I've thought about what would be required of any alternative desktop (as an outsider \
looking in really) to replace Windows, and I don't even see Gnome as an alternative \
to KDE. Functionally it's OK but from a development and technology perspective it \
just doesn't cut it one bit, and that's what everything stems from. At some level you \
just have to admit that. Microsoft quite correctly realised this early on. If Sun \
made Gnome a really supported Java development environment as much as they talk about \
Java then they might have something. This is what Trolltech, Novell/Suse, the KDE \
community and others involved need to do for KDE together.

> To this day the City of Largo is still on GNOME.

They actually used both Gnome and KDE with Red Hat (and Bluecurve.....), but they \
probably use some form of Suse Pro now - not sure.

Yes, there is an opportunity for free desktops and desktop Linux but it is going to \
take absolute realism about where things are, where people want to be and how it can \
be done. The first thing we all need to realise is that corporate destkop Linux is \
*not* happening on a huge scale, and we need to leave all this Ximian-oriented \
rubbish behind - fast. It's amazing how many people still fall into it many years \
later, and it's done desktop Linux no favours whatsoever.

Cheers,

David


 
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