| Bar Bulletin |
February, 2003 |
| Technology Talk |
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Desktop Linux: the Other OS
By John Anderson
Microsoft faces
another potential threat to its dominance. Five years ago, Microsoft was
fighting in the height of the browser wars. More recently, they were at
odds with the courts. Now their new adversary is taking the form of Linux
and other types of open-source software being developed by swarms of
volunteer programmers around the world.
Open-Source
The term
“open-source” means software code that’s available for all to see, use or
change. Any programmer can make changes, but those changes are subject to
the court of public opinion – the best ones stay, while the worst draw
jeers.
The Linux operating
system, one of the best-known open-source programs, now runs on about a
quarter of all servers. Formerly the operating system of choice for elite
hackers who gave open-source its start, Linux is now making its way into
businesses and homes of non-elite, non-techie computer users.
You might already
be using Linux and not even know it. Cell phones, PDAs and other portable
computing devices often use open-source software to run. Companies such as
Apple Computer, IBM, RealNetworks and Sun Microsystems use open-source
code in their software products. Apple and IBM in particular have found
that they can build their own software on top of the common underling
software and focus their resources on creating product enhancements,
instead of recreating the basic operating system.
The core of the
Apple Mac OS X is based on an open-source Linux cousin called FreeBSD (on
top of which Apple adds its interface, graphics engine and user-friendly
applications for pictures, music and movies).
OS X has already
gone through two revisions. The most recent one contains over 150 new
features. Apple credits that speedy development cycle to the army of
independent programmers tweaking and shoring up the FreeBSD core.
Beyond Open-Source
Linux is finding
its way into the mainstream PC arena as Wal-Mart is reported to begin
offering two types of PCs running Lindows (www.lindows.com),
built on the Linux operating system (OS). Lindows can be run on your Dell
or Compaq computer and delivers the power, stability and cost-savings of
Linux with the ease of a Windows environment.
Lindows also offers
a Click-N-Run Warehouse of hundreds of software titles for your business,
home, education, and entertainment needs that can be automatically
downloaded and installed with the click of a button.
Lindows is able to
accomplish just about all of the tasks that you are used to performing on
your PC. You can surf the Web (with pop-up ad blocking and tabbed Web
browsing), send and receive e-mail, spell check, instant message, play MP3
files, play games and use Microsoft file-compatible word processing,
spreadsheet and presentation software. Lindows can also connect and share
data over a Microsoft Windows network and has a built-in pre-configured
firewall for maximum security.
Linux was and still
is being developed by people whose computer knowledge far exceeds that of
most others. Usability is still considered an afterthought in most cases.
That is why Linux should be left for the more patient among us. The rest
of us will purchase Lindows for $129, or, better yet, buy a PC with it
pre-installed, but it is well worth the price for the added usability.
Is
It for Me?
It might seem
tempting to choose this alternate OS for a number of reasons. Linux is
free and Lindows is cheap, claiming to offer thousands of dollars worth of
software for free, compared to purchasing similar software for your
Windows OS. In addition, there are very few viruses out there that are
targeting the Linux OS, making a much less worrisome experience.
It also doesn’t
have nearly as many bugs as its competitor, Microsoft, but if you are
happy and familiar with the software and environment of the Windows OS,
stick with what works for you.
Linux has gotten
much better in terms of driver support for peripherals, though it’s still
sometimes possible to bump into a piece of unsupported hardware. If that
happens, you should check the manufacturer’s site to see if they have a
Linux driver available.
Microsoft is still
the king of the hill when it comes to computer gaming and, most likely,
your favorite will not be available, or an emulator might be necessary to
run it. You may need to download an emulator if you wish to use your
favorite software, or purchase a program such as CrossOver Office (http://codeweavers.com/).
Emulators rarely
worked well in the past and installation of Windows applications was often
impossible. And even when installation was successful, performance was
slow, programs crashed, printing was a pain and fonts were often so jagged
as to be almost unrecognizable on screen.
CrossOver has
solved many of the issues with emulators. Prior to CrossOver, Linux users
who needed to use standard business applications such as Microsoft Office
or Lotus Notes (which CrossOver also supports) had to install an emulator
program that attempted to convince the computer it could run Windows, a
copy of Windows OS and the desired applications.
Installation of all
Office programs under CrossOver is point-and-click easy. The makers of the
product said that the key market for CrossOver is comprised of
organizations that want to switch to Linux but can’t make the change
comfortably without being able to use the Windows applications they know
and love. CrossOver does not yet support Windows XP but is expected to in
its next release.
There are no legal
issues involved with running CrossOver with Office since CrossOver
requires a legally purchased copy of Office. CrossOver Office is priced at
$54.95 per user, with work group, site and enterprise license discounts
available.
Microsoft is being
challenged by open-source on the server and on the desktop. The outlines
of an alternative computing platform are finally emerging. And it didn’t
take an antitrust lawyer to conjure them up, either.
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