Linux Desktop Odyssey: Let the journey begin

Rodney Gedda

Rodney Gedda is the former deputy editor of CIO and former editor of Techworld.

I just renamed my two previous blogs about migrating from Windows XP to SLED 10 in a business environment as “Linux Desktop Odyssey” so everyone can easily keep up with my progress. The Linux Desktop Odyssey blog series will present a no-holds-barred review of what the average business computer user can expect with Linux in front of them. Of course, the experience will vary between a more complex set of requirements to a more relaxed set, so please do let me know where you sit and I'll do my best to describe such a transition.

Here at IDG we're probably somewhere in the middle. Most employees don't require complex Windows apps or Microsoft Office Macro support, yet all employees require proprietary software from IBM and Novell.

As outlined in my first Linux Desktop Odyssey blog, the main themes I will be investigating are:

Desktop usability Application availability Features and upgrades Application familiarity Windows application support Peripheral device support Network device support

That list is by no means exhaustive and if TechWorld readers have additional areas they'd like to see covered simply post a comment or send us an e-mail.

Let the journey begin!