[WEB4LIB] Re: Little of GNU/Linux in Libraries (was: The beginning of the end for the

[Daniel Messer]

"c.murdock" <cmurdock at ccfls.org> said:

> Being a Linux/OpenBSD/Windows user myself, I agree with most of what Dan has 
> to say, but I really must disagree with his statement that Linux is totally 
> oriented around the command line.  Well, sort of.  Linux definitely is 
> command line based, which I personally think is a tremendous plus, but I 
> think that the graphical interfaces and programs available have really 
> matured to the point that the average Windows user would have no trouble 
> doing the things they usually do, i.e., web browsing, email, word processing, 
> and maybe some graphics editing.  In fact, my goal is to replace most of my 
> library's staff computers with thin clients running Mandrake 8 and KDE 2.  
> The problem is those few programs that don't have a viable equivalent in 
> Linux, like MS Publisher.  (If someone knows of one, please tell me!)

Absolutly right! And the idea of doing the entire library in thin clients with Mandrake and KDE is a very good one! I myself love KDE. We use thin clients as well, but really don't take full advantage of them as a means of delivery, simply because most of our users don't know, or don't care to know everything they might be able to do with them.

I am not knocking the command line interface, I find it very useful and it gives me wonderful control. But most users, especially the common computer user working in a library, does not want to learn commands. They want to double click the little picture and have it do something. KDE is great for that, but as another post to the listserv said, people fear change.

One suggestion for your MS Publisher replacement is StarOffice. The complete package has a "version" of MS Publisher that works very well and is very similar to Publisher in many ways. I've used both and really found StarOffice just as functional and just as easy to use as Publisher. In addition, StarOffice is basically a MS Office replacement. It has equivalents for Word, Excel, Publisher, Access, Powerpoint, Internet Explorer (yes it functions as a browser), and a couple other nifty things. All this is available for the low low price of free, other than the time it takes to download it as it's fairly big. Hope that helps!

Dan

-- 
Mondai wa
The subject in question...
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Daniel Messer
Technologies Instructor
Yakima Valley Regional Library
dmesser at yvrls.lib.wa.us
509-452-8541 ext 712
102 N 3rd St  Yakima, WA  98901
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When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.
                                         -Hunter S. Thompson