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Vienna To Softly Embrace Linux

Posted by timothy on from the schnitzelgrueppen dept.

nodata101 writes "ZDNet reports that the city of Vienna, Austria is looking to move at least a portion of its desktops to Linux. Of those that do not move to Linux, another portion will switch from Microsoft Office to OpenOffice.org, although some users will remain on Microsoft Office. You can read the English report here, and the full report auf Deutsch here."

13 comments

  1. fp by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    one step at a time

    1. Re:fp by MikeCapone · · Score: 1

      Exactly.

      Some switches work better than others, but the important part is that they are happening, and in some countries like brazil (and probably soon venezuela) it's a whole new way of seeing software that is developping.

      I don't really care if microsoft is driven out of business, but I do care about having a viable choice and knowing that this wonderful technology available to us isn't being controlled by only a few mega-corporations.

      --
      Treehugger? Treehugger... Treehugger!
    2. Re:fp by jmrSudbury · · Score: 1

      I am glad that another city is embracing Linux if only in part. Is anyone keeping track of what cities in the world have switched -- even partially? I recently heard that Calgary's (in Alberta Canada) switch had/is having some troubles. Does anyone have a url to a site that tracks this information including how far along the city is in their switch?

  2. LInux based Windows look alikes?? by musichead · · Score: 1
    will be modified to look more like Windows

    XPDE anyone?? (http://www.xpde.com/)

  3. What do you mean softly embrace by chris_mahan · · Score: 2, Insightful

    With a name like that, Vienna needs to do more than just softly embrace. Vienna needs to take linux to her room and give it the full treatment. This will be much more satisfying. Besides, I heard that her husband Micro has gone, hum, soft?

    Ok, now for serious. They don't need to go with either linux or windows. They need to have a backend infrastructure that supports either. Then, when the user asks for a computer, they can say: linux or windows, and let them choose.

    --

    "Piter, too, is dead."

    1. Re:What do you mean softly embrace by c0l0 · · Score: 1

      It's done this way, actually. The "backend" of Vienna's City Administration Services is based on Open Source/Free Software for several years, and that recently, the better share of today's software - the free one - has been offered to the "end-user"-employees of the administration itself as well. And they're able to choose for themselves whether they stick just to Windows, or switch to Linux. That's no bad thing at all, imo.

      --
      :%s/Open Source/Free Software/g

      YTARY!
  4. Linux to slip Vienna the sausage? by blueZ3 · · Score: 1

    That was a somewhat suggestive headline.

    --
    Interested in a Flash-based MAME front end? Visit mame.danzbb.com
  5. Tux + Linus joke by wot.narg · · Score: 1

    Linus: So Tux, what are we going to do tonight?
    Tux: Conquer Vienna... bringing us one step closer to what we do every night: Try to take over the WORLD!

    --
    Roses are red
    Violets are blue
    In Soviet Russia
    Poems write you!
  6. this is good by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    having a percentage of Linux is better than a mono-culture of Windows only desktops/laptops so when the virus du_jour comes in and knocks over all those windoze boxen like a row of dominos you will have enough Linux boxen to use for rescue and possibly save data...

  7. How do they know? by ahziem · · Score: 1

    Do users know the difference? Will there be a campaign? Will Microsoft sponsor ads the Windows under the table?

    1. Re:How do they know? by hdparm · · Score: 1

      1] Not likely but they will, soon. 2] Is there a need for one? 3] Of course they will.