Linked by David Adams on Tue 21st Dec 2004 17:45 UTC, submitted by Lumbergh
A KDE developer opines that the move to port the top open source applications to Windows will undermine the potential for a widely-used open source desktop operating system.
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Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/24/13 14:44 UTC
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The big issue with changing from Windows to Linux (business desktop) is that the users would (supposedly) have to change all their apps. To learn all new email/word processing/spread sheets and a new OS at once is too much. On the other hand, if the users start using OpenOffice, and then later learn to use Evolution, etc, etc...slowly the barries to using Linux desktop melt away.
I definately support and encourage Windows compatibility in open source. Apps - people using any open source is good. Assuming the product meets their needs, this also will have the benifit of making open source seem "normal". Indeed, if MS attacks a product that many people use (e.g. OO) then they will be more likely to defend open source and to see MS/IBM/Oracle/whoever as being unreasonable. If people aren't exposed to open source they won't care what MS does, or worse, they may believe the FUD.