Hold on. You're saying that there's no reason to run shareware applications made for Windows in Linux because there are already viable alternatives in Linux and that's why Wine and Crossover add value? Wine and Crossover run Windows application in Linux.
And the example of BlueFish most certainly does not show your point. One of the 179 companies that make shareware editors for Windows found it was unprofitable to port to Linux and had a nice suggestion for an app that Linux users "might as well use" because it was "geekier".
But lets not limit ourselves to just unfounded opinions. Lets take a brief look and see if its true that most of the shareware needs are filled already in open source. Let's check out business apps.
Business apps on jumbo.com Accounting 59 Add-Ons 104 Communication 78 Management 110 Finance 178 Industry 86 Contact 409 Inventory 34 Marketing 34 Misc 84 Presentation 12 Print/Publish 98
Business apps on osdir.com Accounting 3 Investment 2 Point-of-sale 1 Scheduling 5 Print 8
Without getting into a feature by feature comparision, lets just admit the fact that's obvious to everyone: there are more Windows apps than Linux apps. Equally true is the fact that most people use computers for the applications. And there's another truth that's obvious to everyone: its hard to build a revenue stream from a free product. I'm sure you won't believe me, so let's see what Mandrake has to say on the subject. mandrakeforum.com/print.php?sid=1431&lang=en
Its not productive to deny the truth. Its more productive to objectively consider practical steps that might be taken to get you where you want to go. And if you want to see more people using Linux on the desktop, you might consider how to get more of the applications they want to use onto the desktop. Because the real problem with shareware on Linux isn't that there's already enough, its that there's not enough and we haven't figured out a way to change that yet.
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Re:The real problem with Shareware on Linux
Posted by: DCallaghan on July 25, 2002 01:32 AMAnd the example of BlueFish most certainly does not show your point. One of the 179 companies that make shareware editors for Windows found it was unprofitable to port to Linux and had a nice suggestion for an app that Linux users "might as well use" because it was "geekier".
But lets not limit ourselves to just unfounded opinions. Lets take a brief look and see if its true that most of the shareware needs are filled already in open source. Let's check out business apps.
Business apps on jumbo.com
Accounting 59
Add-Ons 104
Communication 78
Management 110
Finance 178
Industry 86
Contact 409
Inventory 34
Marketing 34
Misc 84
Presentation 12
Print/Publish 98
Business apps on osdir.com
Accounting 3
Investment 2
Point-of-sale 1
Scheduling 5
Print 8
Without getting into a feature by feature comparision, lets just admit the fact that's obvious to everyone: there are more Windows apps than Linux apps. Equally true is the fact that most people use computers for the applications. And there's another truth that's obvious to everyone: its hard to build a revenue stream from a free product. I'm sure you won't believe me, so let's see what Mandrake has to say on the subject. mandrakeforum.com/print.php?sid=1431&lang=en
Its not productive to deny the truth. Its more productive to objectively consider practical steps that might be taken to get you where you want to go. And if you want to see more people using Linux on the desktop, you might consider how to get more of the applications they want to use onto the desktop. Because the real problem with shareware on Linux isn't that there's already enough, its that there's not enough and we haven't figured out a way to change that yet.
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