Look at the progression of computers: from Universities, to the Military, to Business, and finally, to the Home User. Linux will follow a similar progression (with the exception of the Military, possibly). It has already begun. When the majority of business applications run on Linux (and I mean business apps, like accounting, ERP, etc.. *NOT* office suites) it will then filter down to the Home users. The focus of the Linux/ Open Source community should be on these critical business applications.
Tk apps can be more functional and better-looking than many Windows apps. I have an Accounting/Enterprise Management system written in Tk - it is easier to use and looks better than some Windows apps of the same kind. And it's faster too!
Monopoly in the mainframe market? If the other (now mostly dead) mainframe companies would have focused on technology, instead of becoming the 'next IBM', they may not have died. Look at what Getronics did with the Wang VS mainframe - cut R&D, stopped marketing, etc.. It was ahead of it's time back in the 80's. Had they embraced open standards, and kept the emphasis on technology, they might still be around. Complain about IBM all you want, they have always (and still have) a big focus on R&D.
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Look at the progression of computers: from Universities, to the Military, to Business, and finally, to the Home User. Linux will follow a similar progression (with the exception of the Military, possibly). It has already begun. When the majority of business applications run on Linux (and I mean business apps, like accounting, ERP, etc.. *NOT* office suites) it will then filter down to the Home users. The focus of the Linux/ Open Source community should be on these critical business applications.
Tk apps can be more functional and better-looking than many Windows apps. I have an Accounting/Enterprise Management system written in Tk - it is easier to use and looks better than some Windows apps of the same kind. And it's faster too!
That's what you get when you choose to code in a proprietary language....
Monopoly in the mainframe market? If the other (now mostly dead) mainframe companies would have focused on technology, instead of becoming the 'next IBM', they may not have died. Look at what Getronics did with the Wang VS mainframe - cut R&D, stopped marketing, etc.. It was ahead of it's time back in the 80's. Had they embraced open standards, and kept the emphasis on technology, they might still be around. Complain about IBM all you want, they have always (and still have) a big focus on R&D.