I was surprised by this review, which read like so much flamebait.
I've used WP Office on Corel and Red Hat Linux, and it works well (not having crashed even once). I find it very usable on a Cyrix PR200, although Wine has a tendancy to scan (and time-out on) every empty CD-ROM drive in the system; With CDs inserted, the apps start up in reasonable time.
If WordPerfect doesn't work with his/her pet flavor of Linux, too bad. Linux distros are missing *SO* many services that mature apps rely on, and Corel is not going to sit around waiting for a standards group to set things straight. Corel is adding necessary functionality to Linux as they go (witness their involment in extending Linux printer support), but they can't write code to retrofit every distro.
Most Linux distros are hideous, sprawling, inconsistent masses. And every major player who lumps in a new technology thinks they have bettered Linux. But thank goodness they're wrong; Linux consists of the kernel and nothing more until standards for various levels of functionality are set. These emperors are wearing no clothes. When people try to intimidate users with the implication they're running "crippled" Linux unless they have at least 4 or 5 scripting languages installed, at least I know better.
Think of all the people who lumped their pet tools into Linux distros just to support their quick-and-dirty, user-unfriendly contributions. Why should Corel be lambasted for making their own additions and making their own apps dependant on them? Those OS additions are available to the community just like the other pet technolgies (which are often less usable anyway).
IMO, the opinions offered in the LWN article are entirely incredible. The reviewer was not honest enough to describe the distro in use (Corel only supports a finite number, you know) or the modifications it contains, *or* to admit they were working from a particular brand of Linux conventional-wisdom. He/she also didn't acknowledge X-Windows' shortcomings as a source of GUI problems (lack of support for modal windows and dialogs, for instance). This is why the LinuxWorld review, in contrast, was much more fair and ultimately more positive toward WP Office. They stated the distros and mods being used, and gave Corel credit for extending Linux up to the task of serving a mature application.
I was surprised by this review, which read like so much flamebait. I've used WP Office on Corel and Red Hat Linux, and it works well (not having crashed even once). I find it very usable on a Cyrix PR200, although Wine has a tendancy to scan (and time-out on) every empty CD-ROM drive in the system; With CDs inserted, the apps start up in reasonable time. If WordPerfect doesn't work with his/her pet flavor of Linux, too bad. Linux distros are missing *SO* many services that mature apps rely on, and Corel is not going to sit around waiting for a standards group to set things straight. Corel is adding necessary functionality to Linux as they go (witness their involment in extending Linux printer support), but they can't write code to retrofit every distro. Most Linux distros are hideous, sprawling, inconsistent masses. And every major player who lumps in a new technology thinks they have bettered Linux. But thank goodness they're wrong; Linux consists of the kernel and nothing more until standards for various levels of functionality are set. These emperors are wearing no clothes. When people try to intimidate users with the implication they're running "crippled" Linux unless they have at least 4 or 5 scripting languages installed, at least I know better. Think of all the people who lumped their pet tools into Linux distros just to support their quick-and-dirty, user-unfriendly contributions. Why should Corel be lambasted for making their own additions and making their own apps dependant on them? Those OS additions are available to the community just like the other pet technolgies (which are often less usable anyway). IMO, the opinions offered in the LWN article are entirely incredible. The reviewer was not honest enough to describe the distro in use (Corel only supports a finite number, you know) or the modifications it contains, *or* to admit they were working from a particular brand of Linux conventional-wisdom. He/she also didn't acknowledge X-Windows' shortcomings as a source of GUI problems (lack of support for modal windows and dialogs, for instance). This is why the LinuxWorld review, in contrast, was much more fair and ultimately more positive toward WP Office. They stated the distros and mods being used, and gave Corel credit for extending Linux up to the task of serving a mature application.
Coates' motives are either very hypocritical or naive, then. They (Inprise/Borland) got mowed-over by Microsoft just as badly as Corel did.
Now that Inprise signed over their dBase technology to MS, they think they have no longer have a target on their back?
Think again. Microsoft wants to own the enterprise solution market with their development tools. If they succeed in this, then they finaly own the server market and can dominate the Internet.
Corel is, in fact, in a safer position than Inprise. MUCH. MS does not (and doesn't know how to) compete very much across desktop platforms. But they are constantly waging war with Unix, Java and now Linux in the server space (a recent MS developer seminar I went to conforms this in spades-- almost 100% FUD about *nix and Java).
As a result, Inprise development/DB tools will be up against FrontPage, InterDev, SQL Server 7, COM and the whole "MS-DNA" assault. Also, price is not a huge factor in the serverspace.
Corel, OTOH, will have steady income from people who desire a top-notch Office suite in their Linux/Unix environment, esp. when the Corel solution is cheaper, easier to install and more stable than MS' offering. This software will sell like hotcakes in many crucial areas, including the far east.
Would Corel consider promoting its Java version of Office if hardware platforms like Transmeta are able to run it at full speed? Does Corel consider this a valuable advantage over Sun's position (the unfinished StarOffice for Java)? Do you consider the offerings from Corel and Newlix to be competitive with MS Outlook client / Exchange server on the basis of calendering and server-stored email? Are you addressing a different niche?
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I was surprised by this review, which read like so much flamebait.
I've used WP Office on Corel and Red Hat Linux, and it works well (not having crashed even once). I find it very usable on a Cyrix PR200, although Wine has a tendancy to scan (and time-out on) every empty CD-ROM drive in the system; With CDs inserted, the apps start up in reasonable time.
If WordPerfect doesn't work with his/her pet flavor of Linux, too bad. Linux distros are missing *SO* many services that mature apps rely on, and Corel is not going to sit around waiting for a standards group to set things straight. Corel is adding necessary functionality to Linux as they go (witness their involment in extending Linux printer support), but they can't write code to retrofit every distro.
Most Linux distros are hideous, sprawling, inconsistent masses. And every major player who lumps in a new technology thinks they have bettered Linux. But thank goodness they're wrong; Linux consists of the kernel and nothing more until standards for various levels of functionality are set. These emperors are wearing no clothes. When people try to intimidate users with the implication they're running "crippled" Linux unless they have at least 4 or 5 scripting languages installed, at least I know better.
Think of all the people who lumped their pet tools into Linux distros just to support their quick-and-dirty, user-unfriendly contributions. Why should Corel be lambasted for making their own additions and making their own apps dependant on them? Those OS additions are available to the community just like the other pet technolgies (which are often less usable anyway).
IMO, the opinions offered in the LWN article are entirely incredible. The reviewer was not honest enough to describe the distro in use (Corel only supports a finite number, you know) or the modifications it contains, *or* to admit they were working from a particular brand of Linux conventional-wisdom. He/she also didn't acknowledge X-Windows' shortcomings as a source of GUI problems (lack of support for modal windows and dialogs, for instance). This is why the LinuxWorld review, in contrast, was much more fair and ultimately more positive toward WP Office. They stated the distros and mods being used, and gave Corel credit for extending Linux up to the task of serving a mature application.
I was surprised by this review, which read like so much flamebait. I've used WP Office on Corel and Red Hat Linux, and it works well (not having crashed even once). I find it very usable on a Cyrix PR200, although Wine has a tendancy to scan (and time-out on) every empty CD-ROM drive in the system; With CDs inserted, the apps start up in reasonable time. If WordPerfect doesn't work with his/her pet flavor of Linux, too bad. Linux distros are missing *SO* many services that mature apps rely on, and Corel is not going to sit around waiting for a standards group to set things straight. Corel is adding necessary functionality to Linux as they go (witness their involment in extending Linux printer support), but they can't write code to retrofit every distro. Most Linux distros are hideous, sprawling, inconsistent masses. And every major player who lumps in a new technology thinks they have bettered Linux. But thank goodness they're wrong; Linux consists of the kernel and nothing more until standards for various levels of functionality are set. These emperors are wearing no clothes. When people try to intimidate users with the implication they're running "crippled" Linux unless they have at least 4 or 5 scripting languages installed, at least I know better. Think of all the people who lumped their pet tools into Linux distros just to support their quick-and-dirty, user-unfriendly contributions. Why should Corel be lambasted for making their own additions and making their own apps dependant on them? Those OS additions are available to the community just like the other pet technolgies (which are often less usable anyway). IMO, the opinions offered in the LWN article are entirely incredible. The reviewer was not honest enough to describe the distro in use (Corel only supports a finite number, you know) or the modifications it contains, *or* to admit they were working from a particular brand of Linux conventional-wisdom. He/she also didn't acknowledge X-Windows' shortcomings as a source of GUI problems (lack of support for modal windows and dialogs, for instance). This is why the LinuxWorld review, in contrast, was much more fair and ultimately more positive toward WP Office. They stated the distros and mods being used, and gave Corel credit for extending Linux up to the task of serving a mature application.
"time to make the donuts"
Coates' motives are either very hypocritical or naive, then. They (Inprise/Borland) got mowed-over by Microsoft just as badly as Corel did.
Now that Inprise signed over their dBase technology to MS, they think they have no longer have a target on their back?
Think again. Microsoft wants to own the enterprise solution market with their development tools. If they succeed in this, then they finaly own the server market and can dominate the Internet.
Corel is, in fact, in a safer position than Inprise. MUCH. MS does not (and doesn't know how to) compete very much across desktop platforms. But they are constantly waging war with Unix, Java and now Linux in the server space (a recent MS developer seminar I went to conforms this in spades-- almost 100% FUD about *nix and Java).
As a result, Inprise development/DB tools will be up against FrontPage, InterDev, SQL Server 7, COM and the whole "MS-DNA" assault. Also, price is not a huge factor in the serverspace.
Corel, OTOH, will have steady income from people who desire a top-notch Office suite in their Linux/Unix environment, esp. when the Corel solution is cheaper, easier to install and more stable than MS' offering. This software will sell like hotcakes in many crucial areas, including the far east.
Would Corel consider promoting its Java version of Office if hardware platforms like Transmeta are able to run it at full speed? Does Corel consider this a valuable advantage over Sun's position (the unfinished StarOffice for Java)? Do you consider the offerings from Corel and Newlix to be competitive with MS Outlook client / Exchange server on the basis of calendering and server-stored email? Are you addressing a different niche?