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A Printshop Equivalent for Unix?
mcorliss asks: "I'm trying to convince my wife to switch from Windows to Linux. However, one program she loves is Broderbund's
PrintShop, which I haven't found a Linux equivalent of yet. Does anyone know of such a product, preferably one that's free and fairly easy to use?" For banner creation, there's Gozer and AAType, but they aren't the easiest of things to use. Unless you consider The GIMP, software for designing greeting cards (another PrintShop specialty) seems to not have appeared for Unix. So is there an all-around equivalent for PrintShop for Unix users? If not, can you get close to that same functionality using a specific set of Open Source software? If it turns out neither of the first two questions produce encouraging answers, would anyone be interested in starting an Open Source project to fill this niche?
PrintShop isn't free, but you use it. Why must a Linux program be free?
This attitude explains why there are so few Linux versions of software.
- Certainly, first when she has a problem with her machine I have a much better chance of fixing it with Linux than Windows.
That's a very selfish reason. Perhaps you should learn to use Windows effectively for her benefit then.- Secondly, I want to use her machine as well as my own, and let's just say I'm not a Windows enthusiast.
Another very selfish reason. If her computer runs Windows, and you want to use it, you should be considerate of her choice and just use it as she has it set up.- Third, using Gnome and Nautilus (although it's slow) gives a user-friendly desktop which in many ways resembles the Windows interface.
But it is something she is not used to, and has no reason to change to. Let her use what she is comfortable with!- Fourth, open office, abiword, and gnumeric are all good replacements of microsoft office.
But again, not what she is used to. And they are hardly 'good' replacements (consider how well Office integrates its components in comparison, for example.)- Really, the only problem I see with her using Linux is that there are a few applications which Linux doesn't have an equivalent of (or doesn't have a user-friendly equivalent of).
Does that not strike you as an excellent reason for her to continue using Windows, quite apart from the most fundamental reason which is that she wants to?- I don't agree with some of the other posts, that maintain these aren't important applications for Linux. If Linux is ever going to become a mainstream OS then it's going to need to offer these applications (if you don't want them, then don't install them).
Just a few hours ago there was a similar Ask Slashdot from a high school physics teacher asking how to get a Windows-only piece of software to run under Linux because he wanted to run Linux. Again, the most appropriate choice was Windows because it did what he wanted. The trouble with you Linux zealots is that your priorities get incredibly skewed so that Linux, not functionality and ease-of-use, becomes the most important. Please put things into perspective for the sake of your marriage!- So, I guess the bottom line of my rambling is, why shouldn't I try to convince my wife to switch from Windows to Linux?
Because she doesn't want to, and your reasons for wanting her to do so are entirely selfish.I'm trying to convince my wife to switch from Windows to Linux. However, one program she loves is Broderbund's PrintShop, which I haven't found a Linux equivalent of yet
One thing you need to ask yourself is why, if her Windows software does what she needs, do you want her to switch? Remember that what is the right solution for one person, such as yourself, may well not be right for someone else. Are you trying to convince her for an ideological reason of your own, to "convert" her? Because that just sounds like a recipe for strife, particularly since dual-booting is so easy these days.
That's another part of the dogma that keeps Linux off desktops. Software can be developed for any bloody platform, not just Linux. When someone says 'Oh boy! Linux gives me the freedom to develop any app I want!", they're just mouthing disingenuous propaganda.
What potential Linux users hear is this: "If I want that program, I'll have to learn to program myself, or wait for some anonymous Linux developers to do it for me."
So the choice becomes:
1. Quit my day job and take a couple of years learning to be a competent developer;
2. Wait for someone else to write what I want for Linux;
3. Keep on using a commercial platform and shop around.
Guess which option wins.
-- Slashdot: When Public Access TV Says "No"