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What's Holding OpenOffice Back?
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Comments (4)
>"Maybe what we really need to do is look for the people who are getting burned."
You won't have to look too hard. Every linux convert I've made recently has been a direct result of dissatisfaction with Vista, the cost of some proprietary app, or constant malware problems. [edit] Cost does factor in, but it's not motivational until usability and other issues are addressed.
It really is (in large part) about how they come to be ready for a change. Free isn't a strong enough motivator by itself, we live in too prosperous (and spoiled) an economy - in spite of any recent downturns. Free is at best a nice fringe benefit.
You won't have to look too hard. Every linux convert I've made recently has been a direct result of dissatisfaction with Vista, the cost of some proprietary app, or constant malware problems. [edit] Cost does factor in, but it's not motivational until usability and other issues are addressed.
It really is (in large part) about how they come to be ready for a change. Free isn't a strong enough motivator by itself, we live in too prosperous (and spoiled) an economy - in spite of any recent downturns. Free is at best a nice fringe benefit.
Free is also not an obstacle if you know how to use a torrent...getting warez from the web is so easy, most people using Photoshop, etc, use a "free" version anyway.
Thus the article "Windows Is Free" which everyone should read at least once.
http://tlug.jp/articles/Windows_Is_Free
http://tlug.jp/articles/Windows_Is_Free
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What I mean is, I was at a graduation party for a co-worker's daughter. She was given a new Vista-loaded laptop, so I spent a couple of minutes coaching her and writing down web page addresses.
(getfirefox.com, openoffice.org, etc)
As I explained them, one of the people listening in said, "You mean I just spent $157 for nothing?"
Yet, if I'd gone to this person before hand, and said "Don't buy that stuff, this stuff is free" they would have been wary. They would have doubted.
Maybe what we really need to do is look for the people who are getting burned.
Microsoft is going through another Office upgrade cycle right now. This is when to point out that OpenOffice.org works and reads both the old and new formats.
...And that if they want to buy it, OOo accepts donations.