All These Stories...

Story: Dear Microsoft, Thanks for Windows 8! Love LinuxTotal Replies: 4
Author Content
Jeff91

Oct 25, 2012
8:00 PM EDT
About Windows 8 killing the "traditional" desktop must be from Linux users using KDE/XFCE/LXDE/e17.

Because Gnome 3/Unity both provide a desktop that is as "modern" as Windows 8.

~Jeff
slacker_mike

Oct 25, 2012
9:48 PM EDT
@Jeff91, with Win8 can't the user switch from the tiled metro interface to a desktop interface more like Win7? I honestly haven't followed much of the news around Win8 but I thought I heard that was possible. I haven't used Win at home since WinME, but I use it at work. I have to say that while I don't like using Win at work Win7 is so much better than XP or Vista to use.
madmod

Oct 25, 2012
9:57 PM EDT
The "Year of Linux Desktop" isn't here yet and it will have to wait until important app's from the Windows world such as QuickBooks can be available.

However, the end may be here for new Windows releases. I imagine that the way to go if you have to use Windows is to keep Windows 7 and Windows XP running forever.

To keep them running forever requires that disk clones of successful existing Windows systems need to be created on separate hard drives. And lots of computer boxes that can run those systems with the drivers intact in the Windows HDD's need to be purchased and stored for later use.

A next step is to purchase printers and peripherals that are still for sale and which work with those systems.

Next, the stored computers should never face the Internet directly but should have proxy servers or bastion hosts to protect them with the proper firewall/malware protections in place to keep the system clean. Linux is the obvious choice for those servers.

Voila! An environment that can still use the older Windows and still get some work done without terrible new risks.
penguinist

Oct 25, 2012
10:27 PM EDT
That's a lot of steps to go through and the reward at the end of it all is, you get to keep windows? If you are right about what it will take to survive Windows 8, then there will be a lot of people looking for a simpler way.

By the way, GnuCash is an excellent replacement for QuickBooks. My associates and I run three small businesses using GnuCash on Linux servers and we just love it. Ten years ago we started off using QuickBooks for a short time but were very disenchanted with the way it would let you give it your data and then refuse to give it back. Exports are only partial in that program. Some of your data is trapped forever. QuickBooks _owns_ your company's data.

With GnuCash you get a fully open solution and technically both it and QuickBooks are complete double entry accounting systems with a fully configurable chart of accounts. GnuCash will run in simple single-user configurations, and can grow with your company, migrating to a multi-user database centered environment.

My advice to small business owners is to finish off your current business year with your existing QuickBooks system, and then start the next year with a fresh GnuCash installation, and don't look back. You won't regret the move.
tracyanne

Oct 26, 2012
11:39 PM EDT
Interesting that there are these stories about round the block line ups for the Win 8 surface. I've just been to the optus shop in Kingaroy, andthey have had not one enquiry. On the other hand iphones sell well, and Android phones like the S3 and tasblets like the Galaxy tab walk out the door.

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