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SuSE Linux will run Microsoft Office

Posted by Hemos on from the lizard-meet-the-paperclip dept.

PizzaFace writes "SuSE Linux is developing a desktop Linux distribution that will allow Windows users to continue using (some of) their Windows applications, including Microsoft Office. The SuSE Linux Office Desktop will be available for $129 in January, and will include Acronis OS Selector for disk partitioning during installation and Codeweavers CrossOver Office for Windows API emulation."

11 of 364 comments (clear)

  1. Conversion in process by Deton8 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Half of my engineers just switched to Linux plus StarOffice for their day-to-day communications. So far, so good. If these emulators get good enough to run OrCAD, Modelsim, and the FPGA development packages, then we can lose Windows completely from our R&D operation.

    1. Re:Conversion in process by Lumpy · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Why OrCAD? Have you looked at Eagle CAD? It's pretty darn close to ORCAD and is a helluva lot cheaper.. (an a large number of companies are using it now) plus it run's under linux as they sell a Linux version along with their windows version. I gave a copy (free student version that allows only 2 layer boards) to one of our design engineers, he was tickled after a couple of months and asked if we could purchase it for here. I guess the scriptable backend to automate many processes makes his job easier. I'm betting that Modelsim and the FPGA stuff will run under wine.... have you tried?

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    2. Re:Conversion in process by afidel · · Score: 3, Interesting

      This is why linux on Opteron will rule. I know that we can't wait for next year when Synopsis should have everything ported, it will lower costs by a huge amount, even when you consider the high software costs. A 2 way SMP Opteron system with 16GB of ram will be killer for synthesis and should cost a small fraction of what an equiviland Sunblade costs.

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  2. Open Office by oliverthered · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I've been using Open Office for at least a Year with no problems, but then again I don't use.

    Visio, Outlook or Access.

    Visio is just painfull, so I suppose it's a good thing that there isn't a Free Visio-a-like.

    Outlook is fairly intergrated and complete, all Linux equivelents I've tried so far fall short.

    Access is handy for small DB needs, it's crap but still quite widley used because it's easy. I have a Free port of Access for Linux underway and expect to have a Open-Office Db driver shortly.

    Anything anyone else would 'miss' from the Office Suite?

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    1. Re:Open Office by fruey · · Score: 3, Interesting
      Maybe it's just me, but on a 1.3Ghz machine with 128M Ram, Open Office PowerPoint clone "Presentation" thing is painfully slow.

      No way I could use it to do a large presentation, whereas I can use a PII 350MHz with 64M Ram quite happily with PowerPoint.

      Am I missing something?

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  3. Interresting problem for Microsoft... by Max+Romantschuk · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I wonder how Microsoft is going to respond to this one... Earlier today I learned that Microsoft is trying to force users to upgrade their OS with Office 11... This is an option they obviously would not like their users to have.

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    1. Re:Interresting problem for Microsoft... by IGnatius+T+Foobar · · Score: 3, Interesting
      There is basically no way that they can stop Office from running on Wine.
      How about this:
      • Place a new API call in Windows, let's call it VerifyGenuineMicrosoftWindows() or something to that effect.
      • Office 11 makes a call to this API, looking for a specific cryptographic signature
      • Windows replies, using the private key, which is embedded into only Genuine Microsoft Windows
      • Any WINE developer who attempts to extract the private key for use in the WINE package is promptly thrown in jail, courtesy of the DMCA (i.e. the Disney/Microsoft Copyright Act)
      Sound feasible?
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  4. always a first.. yes but.. by SystematicPsycho · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Probably nothing new other than it's a major announcement, and I bet redhat are closely watching this one. Seriously now, isn't this a big kick in the face? What about OpenOffice, AbiWord etc? The only reason I've ever needed WORD is because some moron wrote something and sent it over in a .doc file or .ppt. I think the real answer is for the justice dept to force m$ to open up there document formats.

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  5. Too expensive for non-geeks by TheLinuxWarrior · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Why bother with SuSE for $129, when you can get Xandros (which has the same office functionality) for $99.

    And of course Xandros is based on Debian, which I hear has a package management system that is the cats ass.

  6. Market differentiation and $$s by jonathanjg · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I'm just your average slashdot reader, and I am getting confused myself about which product does what. I don't think your average joe at company X stands a chance of deciding upon which linux/office/ combination to go for, especially since we will see this market expanding even further. Also, am I the first one to see this, but what price advantage is $139 compared to a an XP licence in the business world? (After all you don't get fired for buying M$). There just needs to be something more to make a company go for the KILLER LINUX DESKTOP and this is MARKET DIFFERENTIATION

  7. Re:'Open' Wine? by BoBG · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Codeweavers is/has already (and presumably will continue to) live up to this promise. Their enhancements to WINE have been submitted (and accepted) into the main WINE tree.

    I have sat down and beaten the freely available WINE into running Office, and IE, and Quicktime. I had the benefit of an installed crossover plugin/office to compare config files, etc and it still took me a couple of hours. What you get for your money is a pretty installer and all of the time you would otherwise spend config'ing to do other things. Well worth it to me. IMNSHO, Codeweavers is a company well deserving of my money and support.