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Java Desktop System Rivals XP, OSX in Usability
protohiro1 writes "In this glowing review Chris Gulker calls Sun's Java Desktop System 'the most polished and real-world user-ready Linux desktop in existence.' Well, I'm sold. Will this finally sell the PHBs on a linux corporate desktop?" Newsforge and Slashdot are both part of OSDN.
The enlarged screenshot is actually here, for anyone interested.
It looks like it's just ordinary Gnome with a theme, like Ximian Desktop. Correct me if I'm wrong, but none of the apps running in the screenshot were Java-based... it shows StarOffice, Gaim(?) and Evolution.
and of curse Star Office 7.
Just to exercise your brain cells - Linux (and XFree) is written in C - does this prevent you from running programs written in other languages?
Jeez - the stupidity of some people.
We do not live in the 21st century. We live in the 20 second century.
In this glowing review Chris Gulker calls Sun's Java Desktop System 'the most polished and real-world user-ready Linux desktop in existence.
From this article :
The "proper" name of Sun Linux is "Java Desktop System" (which can be confusing as Sun is branding everything as "%java%" lately, exactly the same way Microsoft did with their ".NET"). The development/high-end version of Java Desktop System (JDS) is called "Java Enterprise System". The distribution is based on SuSE 8.2 and not on Red Hat Linux as it was originally said about a year ago.
According to that article Java Desktop System is a Linux distribution, not just a desktop.
I don't know what a "gnome-distro" is, but accodring to this article :
The distribution is based on SuSE 8.2 and not on Red Hat Linux as it was originally said about a year ago. Yast2 and other SuSE/administrative utilities are only accessible via the command line and not from the graphical menu system. The desktop is based on Gnome 2.2, though Sun's engineers have tweaked it quite a bit.
I came to this article after reading what Sun think of Linux in this story. Really puts this marketing bullshit into perspective for me.
Here's what I found on Sun's site: "The software consists of a fully integrated client environment based on open source components and industry standards, including a GNOME desktop environment, StarOffice Office Productivity Suite, Mozilla browser, Evolution mail and calendar, Java 2 Standard Edition and a Linux operating system."
Translation: in no way, shape or form is this desktop written in Java. It is merely branding, the same way Microsoft brands a version of Windows "Windows .NET Server" and Visual Studio ".NET" in order to tie together their .NET brand.
The Java desktop is not written in Java and has almost nothing to do with java. It is Gnome. It will run on Windows when Gnome does. The Java name is just marketing. It has nothing to do with the underlying technology. The more accurate name for the "Java Desktop" is "Sun Linux". More information
I was interested in checking it out, but at $50/seat/year it's a little to much for me to suggest setting up on all the machines
Actually, the $50/employee/year pricing is only if you have the Java Enterprise System also. Otherwise, it is $100/Desktop/Year. If you take a look at the Sun Network Computing 03-Q3 web cast, Jonathan Schwartz justified their pricing mainly on following points:
1. A company looking for a Microsoft upgrade will find it has to pay $179 for Windows XP and $279 for Office. So, they are primarily targetting companies that are looking for an upgrade.[I am not too sure about the prices, but Sun's offering is way cheaper).
2. The cost also includes the cost for migration and support. They will assist and even indemnify against SCO-like lawsuits.
3. A phone system for an employee costs $300 to buy + $300 per year for maintenance. Sun demonstrated software that uses VoIP and existing networks to integrate the telephone with this desktop. Lucent is providing the technology for this.
4. Even the $100 is chosen so that CIOs can calculate the amount spent on IT in their head. 1000 desktops, the spending is $100,000. That's it.
If anyone's interested, the presentation also shows Looking Glass 3D desktop and compatibility demonstrations using Office documents from Microsoft's website.
getSexySig();
- "Also, let me really clear about our Linux strategy. We don't have one. We don't at all. We do not believe that Linux plays a role on the server. Period. If you want to buy it, we will sell it to you, but we believe that Solaris is a better alternative, that is safer, more robust, higher quality and dramatically less expensive in purchase price."
- "If you use Linux on the server, even if we sold the distribution to you, you are on your own. If you buy our Java desktop solution you are completely indemnified as long as you run it as a desktop solution. And by the way, don't take our desktop product and put it on the server. We are indemnifying them for our products. If we incorporate someone else's component we will make sure that we can indemnify it. I have licenses to all those issues that SCO is suing IBM for. If I didn't have them, I certainly wouldn't indemnify them."
- "eWEEK: So, does the uncertainty around Linux benefit Sun and Solaris?
With friends like these, we don't need enemies....Schwartz: We have an interesting migration opportunity now because we can go back with Unix that is familiar, we can deliver the Java Enterprise System pricing at $100 per employee, which allows them to run Solaris at infinite scale.
People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.
I find it odd that few of the tech press have picked up on it, and even fewer people have taken notice of the consistently good reviews it gets for this type of application, but Xandros Linux has *already done* what Sun is trying to do, and they have had their product out for 10 months now.
If you are a intermediate/advanced Linux user, Xandros probably won't interest you for personal use, but as a way to get win refugees started, it beats every other distro hands down (including the perennial favorite "newbie" distro, 'Drake). The sole purpose of the distro is to make win refugees be able to get using Linux with the least amount of pain and adaptation possible.
Xandros V.1 is Debian Woody based, uses older software libs, desktop uses KDE2.2, has *excellent* networking abilities with win shares and other b0xen (using the proprietary Xandros File Manager (XFM)), and has a simplified "Start" menu with 1 "best of breed" app for each task a user may need to perform. Hardware recognition on install is great, it picked up my hotplugged Archos MP3 player, Canon camera, USB mouse, etc etc with no problems post-install. It is intended for the "enterprise desktop", with stability being a prime requisite for any software which comes with the distro. Xandros V.2 (based on much newer software) is in beta testing right now. Individual prices - The "Deluxe" version (US$99) comes bundled with CrossOver Office and PlugIns, so that no msOffice or browser functionality is lost in the switch to Linux. The "Standard" version, without the costly CrossOver software, is US$40.
So, if you can't or don't want to wait for the Java desktop to be ready, try the Linux desktop that is already doing what Sun is hoping to do.
I don't work for Xandros, I do want to see them succeed - they understand what is needed to help migrate people to Linux.
It looks like Sun knows that too, they're just late to the game, IMO.
I went through the article and pulled out the various criteria that the desktop was under and list them below:
Pleasant looking at launch
Documents folder in the user's home directory
Opened with a view of all data repositories
Theme pervasive
Star Office 7
Unfortunately, the review was based largely on cosmetic appearances. Though important, they will certainly not cut it for an enterprise roll-out.
The one functionality related comment is on Star Office 7. Though the OOo team has done some great work, and I think it is a fantastic suite for home users, I do not believe that Star Office (or OOo) are ready to repalace MS Office in the work place any time soon. Why? Just a few reasons: file compatibility, macros, driver support, presentation tool, etc. etc.
Furthermore, there are several key feature sets that the article ignores that are critical for an enterprise desktop rollout:
---Networking - can this thing jump onto the company's windows network plug and play or do you have to go learn Samba3?
---Application Compatibility - the company will likely have legacy or windows apps they need to run. Does Sun desktop do anything for them?
---Mail server - I know they are using Gnome, but does Sun have any deal with Novell (current home of Ximian) to let it talk to Exchange?
---Installer - Did he try to install it? If you are going to have to put it on 2000 desktops at a company, I hope that works very very well.
---Distribution - What distribution is this residing on. This could make a huge difference in how well the thing works. Red Hat and dependancy hell? No thanks.
I think if you take a look around, Xandros probably has by far the best desktop for corporate use. It solve all of the above issues and is tremendously easy to use. You could also check out Suse, though I think it will be lacking in a few areas.
I want to see MS come down, but this brief write up doesn't have me convinced the Sun Desktop herlds in a new era...
Hunger is the best sauce.