Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

MS Office for OSX? Why not for Unix as Well?

Posted by Cliff on from the things-that-make-you-go-"hmmm" dept.

technode asks: "Apple has released OSX, which appears to be an amalgam of NetBSD, and NexTStep, and other stuff. There is, or will be, undoubtedly, a 'native mode' office suite for OSX. If there is an Office suite for OSX, then why not for other Unixes? To do it once requires solving the basic problem of mapping Office onto the Unix/X-windows API. Once you have that piece, it seems like the only thing preventing a Linux MS Office Suite is MS desire to preserve their OS market share. Technically, this begins to seem a little bit like using one's market share in the applications business to protect one's market share in the OS business, which would, on the face of it, seem to be an anti-trust no-no. What gives?" Most people don't seem to understand that "native-mode" OSX isn't necessarily Unix compatible. Macs have had their own GUI toolbox for a long time, and I would assume that if Office does show for OSX, that it would be an easy port to other Unicies. This doesn't even go into the horrendous track record with regards to security that Microsoft has garnered, especially over the past few years. Does Unix really need Office at this point? Update: 12/29 1pm EDT by C :The wording above is incorrect. To clarify: an OS X version of Office would not be an easy port to Unix. Sorry for the miswording, there.

5 of 479 comments (clear)

  1. cuz by gnudutch · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Because MS owns a nice chunk of Apple, it's in their best interest. We all know how MS feels about Linux.

    1. Re:cuz by DeathPenguin · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      M$ owns Apple. Not in a monetary sense, however. If MS stopped developing IE and MSOffice for MacOS, Apple & MacOS would be no better off than Linux.

      Apple is MS's bitch.

  2. Re:YES by Chundra · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    What do most people use their machines for in the office?

    Well it depends on if you use *nix in your office bub. Most of the unix crowd DON'T use Word, Excel, etc. daily, and don't need it. Seems the people who always whine about linux lacking a good office suite are the wannabes who use linux to be trendy. You know, the same ones who are always bitching about how haaaaaaaaaaard it is to use, and that it'll never be maaaaiiiinnnstream.

    Also, what's wrong with star office or wordperfect?

  3. Why Office isn't on Linux by Kenshin · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    There's a very good reason Microsoft hasn't ported Office to Linux:

    Linux users expect everything for free.

    To be fair (ya, I know) to users of other platforms, Microsoft would have to charge the same amount for Linux Office as for Mac Office and Windows Office. Linux people think paying that much for software is a joke, and will refuse to buy it.

    Plus, if you think Microsoft software is buggy under Windows, imagine how buggy it would be under a non-standardized OS that has 100s of flavours.

    --

    Does it make you happy you're so strange?

  4. Re:In this case, it wouldn't work. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    HELLO? The article speculates about a NATIVE version of Office for OSX, rumored to be in the making. That would mean, when it appears, that much of the code for Office would already be ready for GNUstep which is an api that runs on various Unices, including Linux and FreeBSD.

    Getting it NOW?