The Old Joel on Software Forum: Part 4 (of 5)

Java Desktop

There is an article in this week's BusinessWeek http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_09/b3872038.htm about Sun's Java Desktop http://wwws.sun.com/software/javadesktopsystem/

It is a subscriptionware alternative to windows/office. Has anyone used it, and do they like?

The one drawback the article highlights is that it cannot run Ximian's Exchange Connector so that kills Outlook. Still first looks (have not run it - just screenshots) look really nice.

Tapiwa
Wednesday, February 25, 2004

From the second article, what does "fully integrated Java technology" mean exactly?

I've got Java installed on my machine. Java apps work quite fine here.

Why is "Java" in the name of this product?

Nigel
Wednesday, February 25, 2004

I guess this answers my question, but it still doesn't really answer it.

http://wwws.sun.com/software/javadesktopsystem/faq.html#0q2

Nigel
Wednesday, February 25, 2004

"The one drawback the article highlights is that it cannot run Ximian's Exchange Connector so that kills Outlook."

That is a good thing. Lookout!, er um I mean Outlook should die.

Outlook(express) is the McDonald's of viruses. Billions and billions served.

Hardy
Wednesday, February 25, 2004

While I too would like to kill it, one cannot ignore the installed base.

We would like to get most petrol cars of the road and replace them with something cleaner, but how do you refuel when all the filling stations out there only serve petrol and diesel?

Tapiwa
Wednesday, February 25, 2004

The real answer is, I assume, that some guy in marketing said "hey we have tremendous brand recognition on this 'Java' thing but we aren't making any money off it. Let's try to leverage it into something else that is only vaguely related to it".

name withheld out of cowardice
Wednesday, February 25, 2004

wow, so they bundled some open source software, slapped "Java" on it, and are selling it for $100/year. brilliant.

bob
Wednesday, February 25, 2004

I tried it. Had trouble getting it to recognize a nic card that Redhat recognized. But eventually got it running. You are talking SuSe which I haven't used in years so I don't know how much they added and how much was from SuSe. But try and get some questions answered. Forget it. The sun help site sucks and you can't go to SuSe about it.

I switched to a debian based distro.

http://www.mepis.org/

I highly recommend it. Very easy to install. Recognized nic,sound,video ... no other (tried Lindows, Lycoris, redhat, and the Java/SuSe thing) got all my periphs working.

I've always hated RPM. The debian system for upgrades is ever so much better. I'm a developer ... I don't want to waste time installing. I'm using a gui tool for the installs and updates and it is working quite well.

Me
Wednesday, February 25, 2004

Oh, btw, I shouldn't have missed the chance to slam Ximian as someone mentioned them. Ximian was quite a good email program and I went to buy their desktop. Forget it. What a waste. It would not work. The whole website buy,checkout, support system was a nightmare. To get my money back they sent me a PDF which I was supposed to print, sign and MAIL or fax back to them. Can you believe that?

I now use Thunderbird for mail. It's okay. I was using a version of mozilla mail not to long ago that would grab headers from an email so I could easily create a filter but this feature is no longer in the version of Thunderbird I have otherwise it would be excellent.

Me
Wednesday, February 25, 2004