[ale] Linux replacements for some M$-based junk

[Greg]

Win4Lin allows one to install Windows 98 on a partition and run it in a
window.  I used it w/ QuickBooks, Office, and some other MS programs a year
back.  At that time it cost $60.00 @ CompUSA and it of course requires a
Windows install to the partition.  You just click an icon on the Linux boxes
desktop and it starts up a window that is the Windows Desktop and Windows 98
running along as fine as frog hair.

Windows 98 ran faster on Win4Lin than natively on the same machine.  The
install was wickedly fast also.  If it crashes, you just start up another
window.  I guess you could have several Windows desktops going, but I never
tested that.  I had no problems while I ran it.

VMWare is also an option, but slower for Windows 98 and it costs more.

According to http://www.netraverse.com/ Win4Lin is now available at
WalMart.com.

I wouldn't waste someone's time and money with these two options available,
especially playing with someone's finances, unless they want to have the
first app re-done by a developer in some cross platform language and work on
porting the second over (both a lot more $$$ and time than just using
Win4Lin or VMWare).

Good Luck,

Greg

> -----Original Message-----
> From: ale-bounces at ale.org [mailto:ale-bounces at ale.org]On Behalf Of James
> P. Kinney III
> Sent: Friday, September 12, 2003 10:45 PM
> To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts
> Subject: Re: [ale] Linux replacements for some M$-based junk
>
>
> On Thu, 2003-09-11 at 22:00, Joe Knapka wrote:
> > Hi folks,
>
> Hi Joe,
>
> This is an area I spend a LOT of time in.
> >
> > I have a friend who wants to investigate converting his business to
> > open-source software. I believe I know of OSS replacements for most of
> > the software they use, with two exceptions:
> >
> > (1) A horrid little Access-based app, upon which they are
> > very dependent, and for which no source, and little if
> > any support, is available;
>
> All that is needed from this is the data (dumped to CSV files) and
> knowledge of what the app does and it can be recreated in another
> database format.
> >
> > (2) Peachtree Complete Accounting, which is a comprehensive
> > business accounting package.
>
> Ick!  All of the Windows-based accounting packages have two things in
> common:
> 1. The rely on the most unstable platform for a critical function
> 2. They have absolutely no tools to migrate to a bigger platform.
> (**note** Quickbooks does now include an export to CSV function)
>
> >
> > I've never played with WINE, but it looks like this would be a good
> > time to start. I suspect I'll probably be able to get the Access
> > nastiness running under WINE, assuming Access runs under WINE at
> > all. I'm much less sanguine about Peachtree Complete, since it's a
> > large, complex app that may exercise little-known corners of the Win32
> > API, and they really can't afford to lose their accounting
> > data. (Which begs the question of why they're using Windows in the
> > first place, the answer to which is, of course, that no one ever told
> > them they didn't have to (until now)). Also, they have a subscription
> > to the Peachtree service that ships them new tax tables and so forth
> > on a regular basis. I suspect I may need to leave a Windows box around
> > just for this purpose, unless someone can suggest an alternative.
>
> WINE won't work reliably for Access. Crossover Office doesn't
> "Officially Support" Access for some good reasons. It seems to be prone
> to crashing under loading (big sorts, etc).
>
> There is not (yet) any accounting package for Linux that will support
> payroll tax tables being provided for easy installation like th Windows
> apps. The tax tables can be downloaded from the Fed and State sites and
> processed with script-foo and uploaded into the database by a local
> support guru until the process is automated.
> >
> > Anyhoo, any comments, suggestions, or advice
> > appreciated. Specifically, is there any good reason to go with one of
> > the commercial WINE distros like WINEX or CrossoverOffice vs. the
> > winehq release?
>
> Look into AppGen ($$), SQL-ledger (GPL, no payroll, but web-based),
> Compiere ($$ for Oracle) and Fitrix ($$). The money spent to migrate
> will be well worth it as the final product is supportable with well
> known and tested tools.
> >
> > -- Joe Knapka
> > _______________________________________________
> > Ale mailing list
> > Ale at ale.org
> > http://www.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
> --
> James P. Kinney III          \Changing the mobile computing world/
> CEO & Director of Engineering \          one Linux user         /
> Local Net Solutions,LLC        \           at a time.          /
> 770-493-8244                    \.___________________________./
> http://www.localnetsolutions.com
>
> GPG ID: 829C6CA7 James P. Kinney III (M.S. Physics)
> <jkinney at localnetsolutions.com>
> Fingerprint = 3C9E 6366 54FC A3FE BA4D 0659 6190 ADC3 829C 6CA7
>