R devel - Jul 2002 - [R] Free Software Application for UNIX/Linux and Microsoft Windows

Dear Michael Camann,

My concern was after having a hetero-computing environment for many years, I
found that I had to keep an old version of Microsoft Windows based
applications to be able to interact with my constituents. This at times can
become very expensive. I have had to limit my budget on the UNIX/Linux
platform to compensate for Microsoft Windows based applications.

With Open Office 1.0.1 this is a move in a positive direction. Currently, I
am Sun Microsystems Certified, of which, Sun Microsystems is one of the
contributors to the Open Office 1.0.1 multi-platform application. I am also,
Microsoft Windows Certified along with experience on the HP-UX, IBM AIX,
OS/2, Open Software Foundation, Silicon Graphics, Digital VMS/UNIX (HP),
True 64, Novell, Banyan Vines, BSD, Macintosh and a few others at or above
the level of Certification. But, the problem exists with having to pay for
each platform's certification. As you can see, I am not just limited to two
platforms.

I will just take a step back and let you know that I have been involved with
multi-platform systems for over twenty years, so, I have seen a improvement
over the years. The key factors here are "Cost, Efficiency, Development,
Production and Usability of Fully Functioning Applications!" We need to be
able to get things done and they cannot all be done under a mono-platform.
That is why we have stereo or hetero-computing environments.

We must be able to communicate in stereo and do it on a positive plain. Just
like, 3D or 4D.

I am honored you took time out of your busy scheduled to respond to my
e-mail. It goes to show, we all have a role in life and though it may seem
simplistic by design, on a difference plain it is important. Many thanks,
Michael Camann.

Sincerely,
Shawn Hornsby
Systems Specialist


-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Camann [mailto:mac24@humboldt.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, July 23, 2002 5:29 PM
To: Shawn Hornsby
Subject: Re: [R] Free Software Application for UNIX/Linux and Microsoft
Windows


Shawn--

Thought I'd reply simply because I've recently had a similar experience
and thought you might be interested in a slightly different perspective.
I've been running a hetero-computing environment for several years, with
some machines that were dual-boot Linux/MSWindows and others that were
pure Linux but with the Win4Lin kernal installed so that Win98 ran in an
X11 window.  That worked pretty well-- all the usual MSWindows office
software ran (and was stable!) as well as a few vector graphics and data
analysis programs that don't have Linux counterparts.

A couple of recent events on my only 100% Windows computer pissed me off
so badly that I've mostly migrated AWAY for the hetero environment toward
a pure Linux environment.  You're right, OpenOffice was key to being able
to achieve this-- the last StarOffice version (5.2 as I recall) just
wasn't up to the full compatibility task, but SO 6.0 (upon which the OO
code is based) is so far performing just fine.  I do have one computer in
the lab-- a laptop-- that's still dual boot AND has the Win4Lin kernel
just for a few remaining programs that I haven't found replacements for
under Linux, but that number is declining almost daily.  I'm almost ready
to completely migrate to a homogenous Linux environment.  I think I'll
break my Win2K CD's and send them back to Microsoft-- an empty gesture,
but if enough people do it they'll have to get the message....

Best,
Mike C.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Michael A. Camann                                  Voice: 707-826-3676
Associate Professor of Zoology                       Fax: 707-826-3201
Institute for Forest Canopy Research     Email: mac24@axe.humboldt.edu
Department of Biology                            ifcr@axe.humboldt.edu
Humboldt State University
Arcata, CA 95521

                 URL:http://www.humboldt.edu/~mac24/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


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