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Linux Verticals and IDEs -- You Prove It: The real reason why Linux is doomed to obscurity on the desktop and probably ultimately on the server as well (Linux servers running Apache to serve up porn, mini-Web sites and blogs don't count):

1) Business verticals -- no one in a business of any size just runs productivity apps like Office, where Linux at least has competing apps. Every one uses a least some small piece of Windows-only siftware (like your Ham radio software) that relies on the Windows API to work.

2) The comment above reflects a positive reinforcement loop that;s been around since Windows 2.x. By providing backward compatability (software and HARDWARE)along with new features, Microsoft keeps people's allegiance despite many other problems related to their implementations.

3) People prefer the devil they know to the devil they don't know -- most "common sense" business owners believe that all computer systems will have problems: since they know the problems they have with Windows, they'll keep them, rather than try to learn about new problems they'll have with Linux.

4) There is no "killer-app" that is a must-have only available for Linux. Most simply mock what is available on Windows (for instance KDE. OpenOffice, MySQL.) The verticals for accountants, insurance agencies, barber shops, appliance dealers, gas stations, etc. are the "killer apps" for them. Big business has even larger investments.

5) Finally, there is no highly productive IDE for open source programming. Sure there's the DIY Eclipse monstrosity, but it pales in comparison to the productivity of, say, Visual Basic 4, the ten year old Microsoft offering. Many of the small business verticals are written in such programming environments. There's no glory in providing these solutions as far as the programming community is concerned, but they pay the bills for many programmers. (Gives them some control over their out-sourcing prospects.)

Linux is a hobby.; Posted by: PMC-CON Posted on: 12/29/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use