Thursday here, a slow evening. Time for a new poll. This poll might require you to think a bit extra: it asks you to vote not for your favorite application, but which OSS application, in your opinion, has achieved high standards, performance, features and ease of use when compared to the best of breed of the closed source world. Read more for more explanation and voting.For example, the equivalent of Evolution might be Outlook or Lotus. The equivalent of Mozilla will be IE. The equivalent of OOo would be MS Office. The equivalent of Konqueror might be the Windows Explorer file manager. The equivalent of the Gimp would be Photoshop. Or, it could be what you think it is best today (for example, you might regard Opera better than IE, so you can compare it against it). The point is to single out this open source application that has exceeded and surpassed overall (more than the other OSS apps) its equivelant high-profile closed source application, and vote for it.
In other words it is a lot like “let’s find out open source’s killer application”. I hope it is clear enough. 🙂
Note: This poll is now closed. Results below.
Has nobody heard of zeus http://www.zeus.com. There is almost certainly little reason to pay for a web server when
Apache does the job but people should be under no ilusions that Apache is the best web server out there.
Hmm, this poll was a little biased towards the desktop side, even though most of the really great OSS applications are on the server side. For example, the poll makes no mention of Mono (server-level middle ware), qmail (replacement for exchange), any of the OSS Enterprise Java servers, etc. Anyway, I wanted to throw in my two cents about GCC. There was a time when GCC did generate bad code, which is what you’re professors are probably remembering. But on x86, at least, GCC code performs only slightly slower than Intel C++ code on most cases, and on most processors except the P4. Plus, most of these cases where it performs slower are on FP-heavy, type code, or when ICC can auto-vectorize some loop. Besides that, G++ was one of the first compilers to be highly standards complient, and even today, its standards complience and code performs is very competitive with Microsoft’s VC++ compiler. GCC is also open and well documented, which is very important for many embedded purposes.
I voted last night and its letting me do it again. I just want to view the results and I’m not going to vote.
It was a tough choice since notably GIMP, GCC and OO have huge codebases and of course tremenedous amounts of work. I have to commend all the programmers for being able to make programs that compete against commercial apps.
Hey, I had to vote for Apache, simply because it has had the most impact, and because version 2 surpasses any commercial webserver for ability and innovation.
I wish we could vote a second and third choice, though. If so, I would choose Mozilla as second, because it also innovates in ways that the commercial competitors never imagined, and I would choose PostgreSQL. PostgreSQL innovates the least of these 3 (although there are some definite innovations you don’t find in commercial systems), but it does handle relational features very well– at least on a par with any commercial DBMS.
The best document production program around. If you include its predecessor Tex, it predates the current closed source vs OSS/GPL controversy, just keeps doing its job.
To all you people claiming that Linux is still largely chasing its commercial competitors, I correct you:
Linux is still largely chasing its commercial DESKTOP competitors.
Linux’s (and the BSDs’) server side is groomed and mature enough that hardly anyone talks about it in a controversial context anymore. Let’s be clear on this, shall we?
It’s a tougher road to build an effective desktop on a server-intended system, but the rewards will be worth it in time. I for one am eager to see OSS arrive on the desktop, apps and all.
Still not trolling[1],
GG
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[1] I must be setting some sort of record here.
I hope this was not mentioned bevore since I did only read until post #30, but this comment was modded down:
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“eUgEnIa, “equivelant” is spelled equivalent !
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=equivalent&db=%2A
vErY dIsSaPoInTiNg! ”
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apart from the useless post, “dIsSaPoInTiNg”, is actually spelled “disappointing”, but as Eugenia answered: Who cares!
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on topic: I voted for Apache, since it had less security issues in the past than IIS. However, I think, no other OSS project surpasses it’s equivalent commercial counterpart. The only application would be DC++, since the original DirectConnect client is just crap.
Why would people vote for Evolution? It’s a direct clone of Outlook! Are there ANY features it has that Outlook doesn’t?
“Closed source alternatives are better than these three, and that includes WMP”
What the f*** ??
Mplayer is way more powerful than any closed source media player. Period.
Your comment about window resizing is pure BS. It’s clearly stated in the README that the gui is experimental, so maybe try it from the command line. Anyway, the resizing depends only of the output plugin you choose, so try another one if you have problems. For example, the sdl output does hardware scaling way faster than media player.
Btw, I’m probably wasting my time since you seem to prefer anything ms since the death of Be inc.
I have to agree with Mat. If you want a media player (rather than a jukebox, ripper, swiss-army-knife type thing) MPlayer blows away everything else. It has a straightforward GUI (at least KMplayer does) and has insane compatibility. I have yet to encounter a video that it would not play. Now, if you do need jukebox/ripper type stuff, one of those all-in-one programs might serve you better, but there are better ways to organize your media. As for resizing, who cares? I have come to the conclusion that too many people obsess over this resizing thing. In the real world, how much do you realize resize a media player window?
Its evolution baby!!!!
there are a lot of FEATURES included on this great OSS..
i dont wanna tell you all of them right now so go after them if you want =)
I would really have liked to see JBoss on that list. Its the apache of J2EE servers but is easier to use than ANY commercial offering.
Strid…
…but osnews.com has decieded not to list netbeans as a choice. I can tell you all that netbeans are working hard to finish their 3.5 edition. Please visit http://www.netbeans.org for more information.
The bit of data that I am more curious about would be how many people thought each application was close to surpassing its closed source competition.
I am a very strong proponent of OSS and Free Software, but was somewhat surprised to find I didn’t really think that any of them except gaim actually surpassed the capabilities of the proprietary version.
I would say, however, that each of those pieces of software does act as a suitable replacement for the proprietary equivalent for many users.
I realise you probably don’t care but here are my thoughts
Some of my reasons are good some are bas some of them are based soley on inexperience.
Gnome meeting
I have never used
OpenOffice.org
It’s good but it is just not MS Office. My main issues with it are it’s incredibly slow load time and strangly inconsistent cut and poast betweeen it and other apps.
Konqueror
It get’s in the way of enlightenment. I tried it, it took over my desktop. lesson learned.
Evolution
I tried it, it ate my mail, I haven’t forgiven it. It was really slick though.
Mozilla
My second choice. I use it all the time. I installed the eskimo theme and have 0 usibility issues.
Gimp
I use it for all my graphics work, but please it does not even begin to compare with photoshop. It does not support CMYK, necessary for printing, it renders text funny, and it lacks tuns of features. And this is in comparison to Photopshop 5. I haven’t looked at photoshop since then that whole not running on linux thing.
Gaim, Blender
Never used.
Eclipse
Never used, I just split this one out so I could say how muck I like Kate text editor. I really like Kate, it highlight’s code, has an intrgrated shell, and is easy to use and understand. Simple products for simple minds.
Gcc
The second best compiler, but Intel’s is simply faseter.
Apache
Has no realy competion in the closed source world. Yes there are competors (Zeus, IIS, and others) but no one stands a chance. obviously my first choice.
the databases
The main advatage of mySQl is it is easy to set up. Postgress was dificult the last time it tried. MySQL is however the best Mid-weight database application. It is simpler and cheeper than the big guns (DB2, Oricle) and signifinatly more powerfull than the light weights (Access, and xbase). Accualy I think Mysql is the only mid-weight database.
>the poll makes no mention of Mono
Mono is nowhere near the completion level of .NET. Mono still chases .NET. Therefore, no matter how much I do like Mono, it had no place in this poll.
This poll is really weird. What exactly is the nearest commercial competitor to these products? Is Photoshop the commercial competitor to The Gimp? I’d argue not, since Gimp costs nothing and Photoshop costs hundreds. People would think you are stupid comparing the $100 Paintshop Pro to $600 Photoshop, or $600 Truespace to $2000 Maya, but for some reason they think nothing of comparing The Gimp to Photoshop. In the real world (unless your only contact with these programs is through KaZaA price is a very important factor. There are a lot of people who use image manipulation programs, but can’t afford the $600 for Photoshop. Similarly, there are lots of people who do 3D, but can’t afford Maya or XSI. Further, these people don’t even need all the power of these programs. Open source can do a lot, but it can’t work miracles. The magic of open source is that it has produced programs that are very useful for many people, while remaining Free (in both senses of the word). Who cares if The Gimp can’t match Photoshop feature for feature? Photoshop is a high end tool that has been in development since 1988. Gimp is a free tool that has been in development since only 1995 (and in highly active development for much less time than that).
Once a piece of software has the features you need, other aspects become important. To many people, the cost aspect is very important. The many people, the freedom aspect is very important. You have to look at the software as a whole.
Just installed Evloution 1.4 RC1 and this baby has got it going on. And its much faster than 1.2 here. And much better looking. OSS at (nearly) its best. Gu
umeric is still the one for me.
Another one that just came to my mind is XChat. I always found its interface horrible and confusing (beeing an IRC newbie) but the latest Gtk2 version is awesome. Easy to understand and works a lot better than mIRC for me. There might be better proprietary IRC clients but mIRC is the “de factor standard”.
XChat is, at least on the interface side, not much more than a clone of AmIRC, which is widely regarded as the best IRC client, bar none. It really makes mIRC seem like 1992 issue software.
Good Grief said: “Didn’t we have the GIMP vs PP discussion a few articles ago?”
Can you hand me a link? Would love to read the debate.
Have to admit, out of the choices, and comparing like with like, had to be evolution or apache.
I chose evolution because I have the competitors, and evolution is far ahead.
reasons
does not eat email, and if something goes wrong, you dont have to wrestle with proprietry file formats
mail capacity – just handles whatever you throw at it, with slight speed decreases
vfolders
ease of filtering
As regards mozilla I definitely think it is superior to ie, but not by as much
I checked out Content Management Systems and I would have to say that Typo3 blows every one of them out of the water.
This project also has the best documentation of any program I have ever seen, bar none.
You have to check this out if you are going to be maintaining content in a web environement.
http://typo3.com
smeat!
Good Grief said: “Didn’t we have the GIMP vs PP discussion a few articles ago?”
Can you hand me a link? Would love to read the debate.
Damn, I can’t find it
It was a comparison article, possibly concerning Apple, and someone brought up the GIMP-PS comparison. A few others chimed in about Cinepaint/FilmGIMP (which one poster called “Movie Gimp” or “MovieGIMP”, IIRC). As tangents go, it was actually fairly interesting.
Does anyone remember the link in question? Or know if it’s possible to search the comments for a string or poster? I tried searching for “Gimp” but it only brought back articles featuring the word “Gimp”, not the comments.
Forgetful,
GG
CMYK is not necessary for “printing”, whoever said this is misinformed. It’s necessary for prepress work, which only 0.000001% of the people who use image manipulation software need or use.
The Gimp is a quality piece of work. 1.4.x will kick major ass. It easily blows away Paint Shop Pro, and for the majority of people gives Photoshop a run for its money. Of course, people like to think they use the best, very few will say “well actually I don’t need those features so I’ll use the gimp” when it’s easier to get Photoshop off a mate or Kazaa.
So where’s PHP, that seems like a given to me
…before reading the comments. Like Eugenia said, it is not about what is your favorite, but what can be successful in the battle for hearts, minds, and lucre. If I had realized that, I would not have voted, because I don’t care about that very much. Sorry.
Correct. Also, it’s a bit unreasonable to expect GIMP to support CMYK because IIRC the CMYK handling technique is patented.
I like OpenOffice.org, Evolution, Mozilla but…
GAIM is a little piece of great software – runs also in Windows, is compatible with all (or almost all) IMs. And you can theme the smileys 🙂
I was tempted to pick gcc, but as several posters noted:
it does NOT produce as well optimized code as some of its (limited number) of commercial competitors.
However there IS a reason for this, if you look at the well documented goals of gcc, the primary goal is portability across various CPU architectures NOT optimization for a particular CPU architecture.
All of this being said it is really a good enough compiler for MOST people’s needs and there HAS been some optimization work done recently at least for x86 and ppc, but it still is NOT up to the level of say Metrowerk’s compilers, or the compiler that MS uses, I forget who they subcontracted/purchased it from at the moment.
*SQL: MySQL still isn’t even up to PosgreSQL in features, and neither are close enough in esoteric features of commercial SQLs, but still good enough for many projects that don’t really need all the extra garbage.
GIMP: I actually voted for GIMP, but I do KNOW that there are many graphic “professionals” who still prefer Photoshop as they find GIMP lacking. Again, more than good enough for most people though.
OpenOffice: chasing MS Office, as they have been for years. ‘Nuff said.
Apache: Probably should have voted for this, but I figured that it would be a given for a landslide of votes already.
The rest: either trying their level best to copy MS apps(God knows why…) or just not quite there yet.
just bunch of completely unrelated oss programs. could be more useful if separated into different categories. where is jboss by the way? –: )
MySQL isn’t really a PostgreSQL competitor. MySQL is meant for lighter purposes, where absolute speed and ease of management is more important than features.