Re: [tlug] City of Munich switches from Linux to Windows

[Raymond Wan <rwan.kyoto@example.com>]

On Tue, Nov 28, 2017 at 2:07 PM, Stephen J. Turnbull
<turnbull.stephen.fw@example.com> wrote:
> Raymond Wan writes:
>
>  > The second link implies that 1/3 of the 30,000 users are already using
>  > Windows (i.e., presumably that means they never switched off of
>  > Windows during the last 15 years).  I guess if you have two sides
>  > fighting it out, it's only a matter of time for one side to "win".  If
>  > they receive documents from other cities in Microsoft Office format,
>  > then you can't blame them for keeping some Windows systems.
>
> In this case, though, I don't think there was a real need for anybody
> to "win", except for the budgetary implications of paying MS license
> fees and maintaining staff to keep up the local software.
>
> Specifically, I've had far less trouble with interoperability of
> anybody's .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx files with LibreOffice (AnyOS) than
> with Microsoft Office Windows <-> Mac.  Of course it's possible that
> German tickles issues that Japanese doesn't, or (more likely) that
> some German cities use MS Office features that nobody I know
> (including the Ichitaro->Word translator in Kasumigaseki) uses.


Ah...unfortunately, I haven't used LibreOffice as extensively.  Until
now, I've dual booted since the university (not surprisingly) has a
site license on Microsoft Office (i.e., you can install it on one home
computer and unlimited number of work computers).  I wonder if
Japanese universities are the same?

With that kind of deal, I'm not surprised if any IT department would
be happy to keep using Microsoft products since they don't have to
learn about a new OS (or interface).

I should probably give LibreOffice a try for documents that I exchange
with others.  I just didn't want to spend a minute explaining to
others about any display issues because I used LibreOffice instead;
and then a few minutes explaining what is LibreOffice...  :-)


> I would imagine that the biggest problem was getting busy people to
> switch to the slightly different UIs of non-Microsoft programs.  (IMO
> Word and Excel are a clear second place to LibreOffice in the toplevel
> toolbars and menus, but it's quite the reverse when I drill down into
> the submenus and configuration options stuff.)


That's true.  But perhaps the OS UI, as well.

Even if you're a Munich government official who has used Linux for
years, when you get home, your spouse, children, etc. are probably
using Windows (or Mac).  So, "by default" almost everyone knows the
Microsoft interface better than any other.  I'm on KDE and I sometimes
have problems finding things...  As absurd it may sound, I have gotten
used to clicking on "Start" to shutdown a computer.  :-P

Ray