[ale] Wired Magazine

[Mark Groves]

I just discovered Linux and Linus via Wired Mag Aug-97

see <http://wwww.wired.com/wired/5.08/index.html>

There's a great article about Linus and about the Netscape lawyer that 
mindhassles MS about its illegal monoculture monopoly.  I remember the 
old days when mastering dos was all that was necessary to run word 
processors and spreadsheets - and it was so common to just pass the 
software around.  Linux might just beat MS by wiring up the rest of the 
world on its low cost/no cost OS.

My business functions in a Windows world - but I want to keep an 
X-Windows option open.  How many businesses suffered because they relied 
on a UPS monoculture?

I've got a dormant 486 machine running on a monochrome that I'd like to 
dedicate to Linux.  I've got Slackware 3.2 on a cd in a Linux book I 
just picked up.  Can anyone suggest a price friendly package that 
provides a reliable Linux installation and a reliable windows emulator?  
Will my Slackware do the job?

I've read that the WINE project is really not finished, is this true?
I've also read Caldera's promo on having a good Windows emulator in 
their $200-$300 package.

I really want to pursue the shareware/freeware route as much as 
possible.  Perhaps I should set aside an emulator and just pick up  
Linux X-Windows shareware for a word processor, a spreadsheet, and a 
quickbooks clone.

I also want to avoid being trapped in a Red Hat or Slackware or Caldera 
mode of Linux, and not be able to keep up with new developments without 
paying for upgrades ala the Bill Gates model. 

Any suggestions?

Mark P. Groves, JD, CPA
Marietta


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