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

[krishnakant Mane]

On 21/09/06, jtd <jtd at mtnl.net.in> wrote:
> 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 apt.
great!  can you provide me some more details on migrating foxpro apps
to gnu/linux?
JTD this is a great news and I wasn't aware of this happening.
if this is true and if this can happen smoothly, then we have a big
market segment at our hands.
I now need feedback of all you people on ways we can find out to
convince these local baniyas and retail pharmacies to understand and
except the truth.  if "kam hone se matlab" is really what they
believe, it can then be very easy for us to migrate them and what's
needed is only some man power and time.
what do you think jtd?  tell me if this is the right track, I am ready
to put man power on this path.  then the other thing is that we need
to find out segment of other businesses at the local level where we
can market linux.  I think till we use the word promote it is not
going to appeal to the masses.  we need to have a market attitude.
indeed what is wrong in marketing the truth?  if we tell these people
that their data is almost always safe and the system is going to be
virus and attack free, what is wrong that we are marketing?
second hurdle I found out is that they often say "ok we can do that
but since our computer is under AMC etc, we will try and ask our
hardware guy to install linux for us.  and as every one knows the
common reaction from most hardware guys is "linux! absolutely rubbish,
it is just a toy and not used by common man!"  but the reality is that
they don't have the knowhow of installation and maintainance of
gnu/linux systems.  how to overcome this.  any suggested policies?
regards.
Krishnakant.