Proprietary Software Forces YouTo A Specific OS

Chromatic asks, "Would You Use Proprietary Software Ported to GNU/Linux?" at Oreillynet. Except that's not the question.

This news item concerns itself with a firm having to use Revit, but preferring to run it on Linux. Autodesk makes some of its software work with Linux (mainly GIS and animation), so it's not out of the question. Chromatic then rewords the question:

Your software is the only thing keeping us on Windows; can you sell us what we really want to buy?

And numerous readers respond.

Vaguely Related Side Notes

Sidenote 1: I downloaded the resurected Lotus Symphony from IBM (OpenOffice in new clothes), and am mightily impreseds. I used to use OpenOffice in order to avoid Microsoft Office (for political reasons), but was pained by its s-l-o-w startup speed. IBM's done a good job tweaking this free word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation package. And it looks good, too. Download after registration from here. Software runs XP and Vista as well as non-proprietary OSs, such as Linux.

Sidenote 2: My wife is not technological. Dialog boxes puzzle her. She uses three software apps: word processor, Web browser (she likes the FireFox I installed for her), and browser-based email. For planning this week's trip to Europe, I experimented using the spreadsheet in Google Docs: I created a daily schedule with it, and by email invited her to share it. She caught on immediately -- I was amazed at her quick uptake, and impressed that Google could provide a Web-based software that a neophyte could use immediately. She at one computer, me at mine five feet away -- simultaneously editing the spreadsheet.

Only two things puzzled her. Why would a cell would go gray? We soon figured out that was a cell locked out during editing by the other person. Why did the list of items change their order? It turns out the bar under the first row changes sort order -- a bit too subtle.

Google Docs is OS-independent, but Web-browser dependent.

Comments

[Stefan Boeykens]

Many current Windows-only programs were once UNIX or IRIX software. When the market asked for Windows support, they have been ported. Many of the common CAD applications were around before the release of Windows NT, which was the first Windows OS to effectively attract business users and convinced companies to port their software.

The embracing of .NET in current CAD applications indicates that the Microsoft platform is the only target. However, even Microsoft is getting interested in cross-platform support, especially with the upcoming Silverlight for web applications, were cross-platform support is required to reach the widest audience. They are looking to provide Linux support by collaborating with the people that created Mono, an Open Source and Cross-platform implementation of the .NET platform.

Interesting times. Let's see if the CAD industry will be motivated to support Linux (and OSX) too.

[Evan Yares]

"Autodesk makes some of its software work with Linux (mainly GIS and animation), so it's not out of the question."

It is probably out of the question. Revit wasn't originally designed to be multiplatform. Converting it to run under Linux would be painful.

A Linux version of Revit would add very little to Autodesk's gross revenues, and would complicate development, support, and sales.

Autodesk's existing Linux products were all, so far as I know, multiplatform to start with.