Comments on: Scribus: Open Source Desktop Publishing

by: Angela Allen Parker

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 14:27:57 +0000

Thanks for the info, Liz!

by: Liz

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 22:52:59 +0000

Angela,

There’s some good opensource ERP software, I don’t know too much but OpenBrave, Compiere and Adiempiere have gotten good reviews. That’ll keep your accounting and most other parts of your business under control.

Liz

by: Angela Parker

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 00:05:31 +0000

I understand both sides of this Linux vs. Windows OS debate. But, those of us who are running a business can’t uproot our operating system and all of our software all at once. (There would be no time left to actually earn a living.)

Personally, I’ve got a two year plan for my own business conversion. Happily, I’m almost a year into the plan and I’ve converted MOST of my software over to open-source software — but I can only test software that will work on BOTH platforms.

A “Publisher” replacement and a “Quick Books” replacement and a “OneNote” replacement are the final hold-outs. I’ll be working to lean Scribus and the new windows version of GNU-Cash and PostBooks to get that down to just ONE application that I still need. I may even be ahead of schedule on my conversion! (Imagine that)

I have to learn the software now, so that when I’m dealing with an OS conversion, I’m not also battling the learning curve on new software.

With multiple platform open-source software, conversion is a viable option for me… AND my business!

by: Ross

Tue, 08 May 2007 09:36:27 +0000

On the topic of restricting the porting of OS apps to proprietary operating systems, I must disagree with the people against it.

I have run various distros of Linux and while I thoroughly enjoyed the ease of installation and wide variety of applications available for many different purposes, I still struggle (as a designer/photographer) to get the perfect setup on any of the distros I like.

It’s nice to test the software under a proprietary operating system, but unfortunately Gimp’s lack of CMYK support and there not being a viable alternative for the photo printing software I use, it’s still a dream.

I’m not a fanboi either way, but Ivo; I think your attitude is more likely to keep Linux for geeks only, and not going to allow mainstream users to move across. Not everybody has the time to install a new operating system, only to discover that it doesn’t serve the purpose as elegantly as Windows/OSX.

This is a real world, and really… it’s not life or death for you or your dog if people can test drive Scribus on their current operating system. If anything it’s a very good thing for open source… it will give them more of a reason to consider moving…

by: Tony

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 02:53:17 +0000

I have never used Linux before and I am not sure how hard it is to install and maintain, but having Windows options helps me move away from MS and other companies. I reformatted my Hard Drive and the only non-open source products I installed was Windows One Care and Quicken. I researched and found Open Source alternatives to Office, FTP, Photoshop, HomeSite, etc. And it was very satisfying. And if i could find a decent alternative to Quicken, I would use it. I just found Scribus and intend on giving it a test.

by: Dave

Sun, 08 Apr 2007 10:12:40 +0000

Interesting that the view that having open source alternatives on propriatory platforms is a good thing came out stronger in the debate above.

Our view at LWM - if I may speak for John as well as myself - is that applications open people’s eyes to what the open source community can deliver, and that it might help to convince them that an alternative OS might not be a bad thing.

Does anyone have a suggestion for Bryan’s lack of an open flash application, above?

by: minorstatistic

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 14:40:47 +0000

Trots vs Stalinists, I don’t know, but I do believe that Gonçalves is just plain wrong. The more open source software becomes available under proprietary systems, the more likely the user will question why they pay for the system when the same software can run under, (free), Linux.

For example, I’ve just comissioned some design work from a Mac user with Scribus as the common software program, (I’m on Kubuntu). The designer is now wondering whether she could ditch the Mac.

by: Bryan Nielsen

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 05:05:01 +0000

I am a computer teacher for an elementary school. I teach all the open source tools on xp boxes. I am glad that these programs are ported because it allows me to teach and generate more interest in open source software. Several of my 5th and 6th graders know GIMP better than I and they usually show me cool tricks. My teachings are not complete without a good opensource version of flash animation. Any suggestions?

by: enric

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 16:35:23 +0000

Another way of looking at it is that by having free open source programs available to windows users like myself, we learn that there are alternatives, we can test them and use them, and eventually make the step to Linux. I personally would make the change today, but it’s far more difficult to force that change on my supported users.

Think of as open-source windows products provide a stepping stone to eventual windows-freedom, the undeniable, but sometimes not as simple as it seems, goal of anyone who loves computers.

my two cents, thanks….

by: Alan Moore

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 14:36:20 +0000

To second Mr Cowell and put the argument in more concrete terms, the biggest hurdle for most users is data migration. If I want to move from Windows to Linux or BSD, I will have a much easier time if my data is in ODF or Scribus format than if my data is bound up in Word or Publisher format. I’ve heard many Linux users say that they switched to Linux when they realized that all the software they were using on Windows (firefox, openoffice.org, etc) would run better on Linux, so why not switch?

Incompatibility is the cornerstone of the Microsoft Empire. If we existed on a level playing field, I would say refusing to port to proprietary platforms would be a good stand to take. But in the real world, it plays right into MS’s hands - yet another brick in the barrier users must scale to switch platforms. If you took a survey of Linux users who still have Windows installed on a machine, I will bet you the #1 reason is that they have data in a format that cannot be accessed with libre software on Linux. I still have a Windows partition for that very reason.