Re: tlug: Transitioning to Linux (was: Many Faces on Linux)

[John De Hoog <washi@example.com>]

Marcus Metzler <mocm@example.com> wrote:

> Seems like the problem is with the customers who want Word files. If
> they would shift to Linux ...
> Well, that want happen any time soon I guess. But I think TeX or LaTeX 
> is much better than Word especially for scientific and technical text.

That's the view from the University, is it? Well, in the corporate
world....

LaTeX is great, but a LaTeX file is not ordinarily something you hand to
a kakaricho in a big or small company. In the NTT labs, yes; but even
they are going over to Word these days. Given that, have you got any
concrete suggestions for how to set up a Linux-based operation that can
give my customers what they ask for, rather than what you think they
need?

Personally, I would like my customers to use FrameMaker.  It's much
better than Word for long documents. The files are compatible across
MacOS, Windows and Unix (but not yet Linux). Even that is a hard sell,
however, since Adobe hasn't done much to put this program into the
public eye. Most of my clients have never heard of it, and aren't about
to spend 90,000 yen per seat based on my recommendation. Linux costs a
lot less, but corporations tend to be on the conservative side; and
besides, as far as I know, Linux still doesn't have a DTP solution to
match Frame or even Word at this point. That's why I continue to be
amused when people tell me I can do everything I need in Linux.

So why am I even considering Linux? For reasons similar to yours,
probably. It's an Alternative to that big monopoly. Using Linux can
teach me more about computers, perhaps. It offers a kind of freedom to
shape my computer environment in ways not possible with Windows. It's
different from what I do every day. I like new challenges; I'm a
techno-freak of sorts, with a veranda full of parabola antennas and a
room full of gadgets. That's the appeal of Linux, and also what keeps it
>from being mainstream at this point. The techno-phobes won't touch it,
the suits are still wary of it, and the applications are still not quite
there, it appears.
--
John De Hoog, Tokyo
dehoog@example.com
washi@example.com
http://washi.nu

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