Back to Main Page

Is there the xxxx program for Linux?

How do I find/purchase/download it?

Everybody loves screenshots!
 

Why Linux...

Because it is a fast, efficent and rock solid solution for your computing needs.
Be it the need of writing commercial letters or programming huge software or even make Desktop Graphics or 3d professional animation, Linux is the solution.

It is a Unix derivative, coming from a 30 years old experience, and it is the most innovating system in the world (this is no lie: nothins is developing as fast as Linux in the world, for it can count on thousands of developers throughout the planet).

And, ooops!, I almost forgot it, it is 100% Free and with the complete source code available!

You pay the apps (e.g. you buy CorelDraw) but the entire system with all its utilities/programs is free.
You could put up an incredible reliable internet server with Linux without spending a dime, with the powerfoulness (as an example) of the Apache Web Server.
Lots of Internet Providers have chosen this way, and even France Telecom uses Linux for most of its servers.

And, you'll not get only that impressive triad (stableness, efficence and speed) for free, but you will get also a complete Desktop too.
There are two different desktops for Linux, and both of them match Micorsoft's Windows 98/NT and often overdo them.
And, they are completely free to

So, what are you thinkng now?
I now that lots of people are thinking back at their NT workstation, and think that they could have saved the (approx.) 300$ they paid it, and, most of all, lots of people are thinking at their extremely expensive Sco and NT servers, looking at what others did (and do!) for free with Linux.

Check the third question "How do I find/download/purchase it" to find the evidence that what I have said is right...
 
 

Is there the xxxx program for Linux?...
 

Lots of people are afraid to change operating system just because they are not sure to find their beloved applications...
One of the best-sellers in this category of loved apps is surely Microsoft Office.
I am not going to discuss it, for I was a loving user too, but I must stress one thing: Office Suites today distinguish themselves from each other not in their appearence or functionalities, but in their maker.

With the Corel WordPerfect Suite you can do all the things you do with Microsoft Office, and with the same ease.
The same applies for other suites: Lotus, StarOffice and so on.

Everybody loves Microsoft Office because we are used to it: we are sure to know it and we think it will never abandon us crashing or by not having our so-needed functionality.
But this is only old user's viewpoint.
If you put 5 Office Suites in front of a new user, he will choose one of them depending on his/her personal tastes, and Microsoft Office is not going to be the dominator in that case.

I just want you to know that no, for Linux there is not Microsoft Office (even though some thank God for this) but there are alternatives, even more powerful ones.

Corel Computers is porting its main programs to Linux (WordPerfect 8 is already available and CorelDraw is coming soon), and StarDivision has made available an incredible tool called StarOffice, which is simply the most featured Office suite I have ever seen (outdoes in a blink Office 97), though I admit I have not seen the latest Lotus Suite with its voice recognition (wow!) system.
But, Lotus IS IBM, and IBM is already at work for Linux.

Linux is still a complete free market: the best solution is going to become the market leader, so lots of big names are doing much more than their best to port their applications for Linux.

This is a guarantee of lots of forthcoming softwares with big names, and, I am proud to admit, every software vendor has promised (and Corel did) to sell Linux version at even lower price than their Windows counterparts...
 

I can not make a list of the Linux software, for it would be much too long and beyond the scope of this document, but I will give you some other internet addresses to take a look:

www.gimp.org                        Completely Free Photoshop Clone
www.blender.nl                      3d modelling and animation software
www.varkon.com                   2/3d Cad system

Bentley's site                         Microstation Cad for Linux
(perhaps www.bentley.com?)

www.varicad.com (?)             Mechanical Cad for Linux

and so on...
 

How do I find/purchase/download it?...
 

So you didn't believe me?  ;-)

Then,
Let's go to:    www.linux.org                 Linux main site
                      www.linuxhq.com            Linux development site
                      www.suse.de                  SuSE Linux vendor
                      www.caldera.com           Caldera (aka Novell!) Linux vendor
                      www.stardivision.com     StarOffice suite...
                      linux.corel.com                Linux for Corel Corp.
                      www.redhat.com              RedHat Linux vendor

And so on...
You will surely discover Linux's true value.

DELL Computers (one of worlds largest Pc sellers) is already selling computers with Linux pre-installed, and IBM has declared that she will support Linux (shipping it too on their RS 6k series) and help its development, porting to it her biggest applications.

Others are supporting Linux or its vendors too, and among them I am pleased to report Intel and Netscape...
 

So, to get Linux, you can simply download it from the ftp sites of Caldera-RedHat-SuSE, or even buy a magazine with CD included with Linux in (actually lots of magazines are distributing Linux...).

Or you might buy it from one of its vendors (e.g. Caldera, RedHat, SuSE...).
 

A note on Linux vendors: I told you linux is free, but you might ask why are there          vendors.
Answer's easy: vendor's don't actually sell Linux, the selly Linux distributions and (most important) support.

E.g. if you buy RedHat Linux, you'll have a complete system with tons of apps and 100% compatible with all the software available; RedHat simply assembles the software (as other vendors do) but it sells you 24h assistance and commercial programs bundled in its distribution.
In this way, you are not buying Linux from somebody, but you are paying for assistance and commercial apps bundled (for example an office suite).

If you do not want to purchase a commercial Linux distribution, you can (as I have already said) download it for free, but you will not have the assistance guaranteed by its maker to the purchasers of the commercial version.

Remember that, although if you do not hav the commercial version, you can count on the millions people already using Linux and discussing it on the net: the Linux newsgroups are considered the best newsgroups on the net for what regards software: there is always somebody who not only knows the answer for your question, but is willing to aid you for free).
Again, if you do not believe my words, take a look at the groups (example "alt.comp.linux") and you'll discover by yourselves.
Everybody is helped everywhere, depending not on the questions.
Whether you have to configure your mail reader or create a Linux based net with 100 computers linked you can be pretty sure you will find the answer very soon.

And, if you need even more, then go for commercial Linux, which usually costs a fraction of other operating system software (around 60$).
 
 

So, are you satisfacted now? ;-)