[ILUG-BOM] listing Scenarios for usibility of linux on desktop, please contribute

[jtd]

On Thursday 21 September 2006 10:55, krishnakant Mane wrote:
> hello all,
> I recently changed a couple of retail pharmasies to use gnu/linux
> on their desktop.
> first of all they were very resistent because their data management
> softwares were working on foxpro and so changing to gnu linux was
> impossible.

Surprise. It is possible to run foxpro and dbase / clipper apps on 
linux. U have to use dosemu. I have doen it for a small bank. Besides 
u can convert clipper apps to run natively in linux using X2c. So u 
have a migration path with the old apps while u change over to 
something sensible like postgres / PHP on a host with diskless thin 
clients. The best part is that even during the transition u will not 
have to take flak from the customer and since he is functional u can 
take your time on developing the new app.

> then I asked them a simple question "why do you use computers?"
> they told me for their daily work.  so I asked "ok means you are
> using the computer for data management word processor tasks etc. 
> so it is not because you want to use some thing called windows?" 
> one of them told me "windows ho ya kuch bhi, kam hone se matlab
> hain.  tumhara system sab karta hain kya?"  

That is the typical cutomer response. It's the OS challenged IT dept. 
that is the biggest tripping point. Once the source is available they 
would have to actually fix things and justify their fat salaries.
Sirf IT dept. ke public ko gutli gin na hai. Cutomer ko aam khane se 
matlab.

-- 
Rgds
JTD