From: Karl-Heinz Zimmer (khz@stardivision.de)
Date: Fri Apr 07 2000 - 12:30:17 CEST
On 06.04.00, 17:18:02, Patrice Dumas wrote:
...
> people interrested in linux
...
> in using a system they think is much reliable, cheaper and
> with interresting software (latex for example)
...
And on 07.04.00, 12:08:34, Sabino Maggi replied:
...
> On the other hand, Linux/Unix files are plain text files, and
> for instance I can write a paper in LaTeX on my Sparc IPX
> machine (I love it), bring the file home and continue editing
> on my Debian PC system or even use a version of LaTeX for
> windows 3.11 on my ancient 386 notebook. Just the same file,
> the same commands. The same everything. Ten years from now
> maybe LaTeX does not exist anymore, however I will still be
> able to open my file in a text editor, loosing the formatting
> but keeping the text and the essential information... THIS is
> power and user-friendliness.
Ok, there is surely a great the advantage of a plain text format
versus binary documents.
But let me make two objections to this being an argument for Linux:
1st: There is no need to use Linux or Solaris when you like LaTeX.
As Sabino pointed out himself there are TeX and LaTeX imple-
mentations for the different Windows versons as well.
Actually I started with TeX some years ago without even using
Windows: just on a plain (bad) old DOS machine.
2nd: The advantage of plain text formats has been recognized by
quite a lot of companies in the meanwhile and that's why they
develop their own XML solutions to be interpreted / converted
by 3rd-party tools without having to access binary files...
So where do we end? All advantages of Linux lost?
Not at all: there is still one very important difference:
Linux is better! Is doesn't crash often!
A large company can take Linux with GNOME or KDE and work with
programs like TeX or StarOffice ;-) or whatever they want... their
workstations will crash less often then they would when using
windows and THIS SAVED A LOT OF MONEY and nerves.
In my (humble) opinion THIS is the most important difference
between Windows machines and Linux/Unix machines!
Kindest regards,
Karl-Heinz (posting privately)
--
K.-H. Zimmer http://home.snafu.de/khz/index.html
Hamburg * muLinux
Germany * KDE Programming Tutorial
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