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Ximian Connector 1.0 Available

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the milestone dept.

An Anonymous Coward writes: "Ximian Connector is out! Regardless if you don't like open source and Microsoft playing together this will let me ditch my Win2k box at work! Here is the press release. Of note, MS Exchange 2000 has a nice HTTP interface to it as well, works wonderfully in Galeon." kittenslietome adds a link to the license under which it's released as well: Connector is not Free software, but rather software Ximian hopes will pay for further Free software development.

10 of 216 comments (clear)

  1. Re:It's not just proprietary software by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    No, it means you can't reverse engineer it and make your own program that does the same thing. You have to do all the hard work on your own.

  2. Just to make it clear by FooBarWidget · · Score: 5, Insightful

    While Ximian Connector is not Free Software, Evolution *is* Free Software.
    Connector is just a plugin to be able to access Exchange servers, and you are in no way required to buy it.
    Lots of people don't know that for some reason...

    I think this is a good tactic, because:
    1) They have some sort of business model now (nobody can complain about that they don't have a business model).
    2) Companies that depend on Exchange servers can now use Evolution.
    3) It encourages open standards, because you don't have to pay for Connector if you convert your servers to use some open standard that's supported by Evolution by default.

    1. Re:Just to make it clear by cadfael · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I couldn't agree more with you. Its a good case of tying a (possibly) viable business model to the production of software for the open source market (even if the software *gasp* costs me some cash). I fully expect Ximian to be panned by the more rabid open source folks, but I see this as a natural step in the (pardon the pun) evolution of the business model that folks like Ximian will have to make work to stick around.

      --
      -- The Hollow Man
      Non illegitimati carborundum
  3. Who cares if it's not Free? by tom_newton · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Firstly, if you're using this, then you're by definition also using some other non-Free software. Just because this is from a developer that works primarily with Free software doesn't make it any worse. In fact, quite the opposite.

    This (small) piece of proprietry s/w could open the door for thousands of gigs of totally Free software being installed - eventually obviating the need for itsself, perhaps?

    Finally, if it pays for more Free software (lets face it, everything has a cost, if not a price) then i'm all for it...

    --
    Tom Newton
  4. reminds me of something my father used to say... by let+the+storm · · Score: 3, Insightful

    my papa always said, ..."if you can't beat 'em, join 'em." :)

    Ximian Connector is a unique client software extension that allows Linux and UNIX users of the Ximian Evolution groupware suite to manage personal information and collaborate with Windows-based co-workers using Microsoft Exchange 2000

  5. Re:It's not just proprietary software by larien · · Score: 4, Insightful

    That may well have been the intent, but the license reads like "you won't tell anyone anything about our software unless we say it's OK" which could be used to block security disclosures. Note that it says "divulge any details"; I think that's a broad statement.

  6. the price is a bit much. by LWolenczak · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The price is a bit much at 69 bucks *PER* seat. At that price, its almost more economical to just use terminal services.... that way atleast a user still has access to a windows box at all times. We would gladly pay for it at 30 bucks a seat, but 69 is a bit steep.
    -LW

  7. Standard rant not needed... by NetJunkie · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Exchange 2K is different. It's built around SMTP, POP, LDAP, and iCalendar. It's using standard protocols. Where are the UNIX clients to support them?

    It's easy to complain about Outlook and Exchange except there has been no real competition until now from Ximian, and that is only in the client piece. Exchange is a good system, just because it's from MS doesn't make it bad even if this is Slashdot.

  8. Far more useful to ME... by Dredd13 · · Score: 3, Insightful
    ... would be an Exchange SERVER replacement. I don't care WHAT desktop environment someone is using (and there are good arguments for why the average executive should NOT be using Linux), I don't want to have to manage an NT server to get the very nice functionality that Exchange offers in terms of calendaring, etc. None of the various open-source alternatives integrates nearly as well into the users workflow as Exchange/Outlook do.

    Zealots - grouse all you want about that criticism, but it's true.

    The suits aren't going to lose Outlook on their desktops, but if I could avoid having to manage an NT server to GIVE them that functionality that they need, that'd make my life a helluva lot more happy than knowing that some Linux box can connect to an NT Excange server...

    As it stands, we're already considering (eew) Lotus Bloats, because it can offer basically the same functionality, but do it from a Linux box as the server, which is important to us.

  9. Re:No such luck for me by sphealey · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Damn it when will CTO's realize that IT is a SERVICE, and a very costly one. IT is not the damn ruler of the computer!! It is IT's job to keep people productive, not dictate their whim's to every client. I realize that standardization is meant to minimize counterproductive downtime, but it sounds like your companies policy is way over-restrictive
    To quote Richard Feynman, concerning the first head of computing for the Manhatten Project (note that this involved the use of both human computers and mechanical computing devices): "but he succumbed to the disease which has since become well-known: the desire to play with the machine rather than doing useful work".

    I have had the misfortune to specify and install about 10,000 personal computing devices in three different corporations of different sizes since 1986. Of the 1000 or so requests for non-standard configurations that passed my way, about 3 were justifed based on business analysis. The same analysis that the requestors would demand be done on any project presented to them for budget approval.

    When you get a company car, if you are high enough in the organization you get to specify the color and seat coverings. You don't get to pull the engine out and replace it with a new one at your whim. Somehow people manage to get from place to place in those "crippled" vehicles.

    sPh