[plug] Codeweavers

[Ryan]

On Thu, 2003-04-24 at 11:52, Garry wrote:
> I'm sure everyone would be aware by now of the story of how the Codeweavers product allows you to run MS Office XP on Linux.
> The only things which don't work are Outlook and Access, but with the superior Postgresql/Mysql/Evolution products freely available it is a moot point..

I wish I could agree about the Outlook bit ... but my job dictates
otherwise :( 

Another point that luckily doesn't concern me is that Access is
undeniably a very unique application that has no direct Linux
replacement, bar some Oracle forms applications.  Sure, databases are
plentiful outside the M$ world, but GUI
click-here-and-we'll-make-a-badly-designed-database-and-frontend-to-match applications are somewhat scarce for other platforms.

That said though ... the Mail Merge feature in the Word 2002 contains
what seems to be a mostly workable feature set of Access in it, you can
create and edit basic Access databases with it, right down to the amount
of inefficiency you'd expect without having ANY Access components
installed.  Would be interesting to see if that dies under the
Codeweavers product too.

> I've just tried to look up their web site to have a squiz, let's just say it looks like it is popular....
> 
> M$ must be fair dinkum worried about this. The chief reason keeping people on Windows in an office has now be negated! 

Speaking from unfortunate experience in the corporate world, the chief
reason keeping people on Windows is Office *including* LookOut.  So that
still leaves the LookOut problem.  Top execs with their PDAs want
point-and-click-do-everything-for-me integration stuff, and that's what
LookOut and the PDA developers provide them.  They also want all that
*fancy* sharing stuff, which is either LookOut + M$ Exchange, LookOut +
MDaemon or LookOut + Byanari server/conduits, either way it still
involves M$ as the platform ... I'm going through that headache at the
moment .. procrastination is the solution so far.

I personally use Debian exclusively in this sadly Microsoft infested
company .. as do all the servers I touch.  I'm hell bent on changing the
desktops, but can't see it happening for a fair while given the demands
certain key employees place on their email/PIM applications and the
amount of time I don't have to nurse the company through such a change.

I'm slowly getting there though ... some people are about to see
Sylpheed appear on their Windows boxes so they can survive the eventual
switch to Linux a bit easier  ...  and our somewhat legacy
Accounting/EMS application just about almost sort of nearly runs under
wine. :)

Ryan