Computerworld has an opinion piece on a recently leaked memo from Microsoft. The memo, bemoaning the fact that many people are migrating from RISC UNIX to Linux rather than Windows, gives Nick Petreley a chance to delve into the advantages of the X Windowing System. “X11 is essentially a graphical user interface library, but don't make the mistake of thinking it's anything like Win32. X11 and the Win32 application programming interface are as different as night and hot. They're not even similar enough to deserve a comparison like night and day or cold and hot.”
Ximian, the creators of numerous enhancements to the GNOME desktop environment, announced the development of Ximian Connector today. According to the press release, Ximian Connector will add Microsoft Exchange client functionality to Evolution, Ximian's e-mail and information management package.
CRN is carrying a report on moving to an entirely Linux-based environment. They found that moving to Linux proved more than adequate for most Small to Mid-sized Businesses, and at a substantial cost savings. “After constructing a practical solution, the Test Center reached the following conclusion: Linux and associated Linux applications can accomplish many of the same tasks as the Wintel standard at a much lower initial cost,in this case, for 93 percent less than the software cost of a similar Windows-based network”
NewsForge is carrying an article on the available options for running Windows software in Linux. This may be helpful if the main thing holding your company back from a Linux migration is legacy software. “There are already several Windows and Linux (WAL) programs out there. The three most popular are VMWare's VMWare 3.0 Workstation 3.0; NeTraverse's Win4Lin 3.0; and WINE.”
InfoWorld currently has a review of both RedHat, Inc. and SuSE GmbH's respective Linux offerings. The outcome? The reviewers give a big green light for deployment of both distributions. “[M]any companies are continuing to adopt Linux and its promise of a more-economical, yet full-featured computing platform.”
Opera Software ASA unveiled the all new 6.0 Linux Technology Preview version of their flagship browser today. Opera is a popular alternative browser available on many platforms - including Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows - which provides reasonably good HTML rendering in a unique interface.
While everyone was busy eating their Thanksgiving dinner, the KDE Project pushed out yet another release of the popular K Desktop Environment. KDE 2.2.2 sports numerous bug fixes and security patches, and is most likely the last release before KDE 3.0.
UnixReview.com has published a review of a computer system from Pogo Linux Systems. “It's safe to say that the Vorticon, powered by two Athlon chips and a generous helping of RAM, is zippier than a four-year-old on his third triple espresso. A lot more pleasant to deal with, too.”
Dell Computer Corp. released a letter yesterday to clarify its current stance on Linux. “Dell continues to support Linux customers on a variety of client and server products both through factory installation and Linux vendor certification. Dell offers the latest release of Red Hat® Linux 7.2 on its Precision Workstation and PowerEdge Server lines to customers who range from corporate professionals to performance computing enthusiasts through multiple ordering mechanisms, including over the internet.”
As reported here last month, Borland has released Kylix 2 Open Edition for download. Kylix is an increasingly popular RAD development tool for Linux.