Linux Email and financial apps [Was RE: [Learn-chat] XP vs. Linux]

[Michael]

> Well, I see I need to explain myself better. 

Not really. I just find it annoying when people blame Linux because they
can't access their old files. Bitch at the right people. I've been
bitching for at least four years to the writers of ICQ about their lack of
open specs on their file formats and that they change them with each
release. It certainly isn't the fault of the Gnome ICU writers. :)

> 1) I use Linux, almost exclusively at home. In the past 3 years, I have
> used Windoze once - to create business cards with the print going in
> landscape mode (because I couldn't figure it out quick enough to do it
> in Linux - I now have some things to try out thanks to this list).
> 
> 2) My friend recently asked me to fix his computer. He is totally PC
> illiterate. He has his company's financials on this box in QuickBooks
> Pro 2001. He had corrupted files, cross-linked files , and two very
> nasty viruses that were deleting and corrupting many of his windoze
> system files.
> 
> 3) He needed a solution and fast. He doesn't know anything about
> QuickBooks, or Linux. His wife ran the books and the PC. She recently
> passed away very suddenly (we will all miss her very much) Using LaTeX
> isn't an option for him. I don't even know how to LaTeX, I'll grant it
> appears to be a powerful tool, but I don't really have the time right
> now to learn it.

LaTeX would probably be worth your time to learn. I was suggesting more
that if you wanted certain documents printed you might ask for help or
make some suggestions to the authors. It always helps motivate people if
you can show them an idea of what you're trying to do. :)

> 4) Had I known that MyBooks was out at the time, I would have pulled it
> down and tried to import his books, and given him a Linux machine. I
> told him about Linux; I may even build him a Linux Firewall out of an
> old PC I have laying around.

There are some web-based financial programs on Freshmeat. You'd have to
check them to see if any meet your needs.

> 5) This work is all done without fee. Although he did give me a really
> nice gift, I never asked for anything.
> 
> 6) If M$ goes out of business, it will have no effect on me, my Linux
> home network, my Linux internet web server, or my Linux internet
> mailserver.

Might be surprised. Who would Linux try to kill then. Apple wouldn't be a
very difficult target. Maybe Solaris. :)

> In reference to Jonathon's comments:
> 7) My friend doesn't have pirated software, and I'm not sure why he
> thinks I am advocating DOS, pirating, Winblows, or why I should dump my
> friends if they don't comply with switching over to Linux. Or maybe
> Jonathon thinks I am doing consulting work, and have clients who are
> only willing to pay bottom dollar for everything? No in my real job I
> get paid to work in Windoze (and port Unisys mainframes to
> Windoze/Unix). I may even get a chance to do some Delphi again soon.
> 
> 8) I'm not sure how my bringing up the point that there seems (key word
> here) to be a lack of complete solutions for Linux makes me head for the
> bottom.

It all depends on what solution you need. Every business and every person
has different needs. I've yet to see any out-of-the-box solution that'll
work for everyone on any OS. It's hardly unique to Linux.

> 9) I would be more than happy to replace everyone's M$ proprietary
> software with Linux. If we are to be successful in selling Linux to the
> masses, we must be able to supply realistic solutions. Trying to take a
> personal finance package and make it do business finance, and then
> telling the user that the now need to do "this, that, and the other
> thing" to make/save and print invoices, just isn't realistic. Neither is
> telling a user, sorry we can't import all your data, you'll just have to
> key it all in again. Oh you don't have any paper copy, well too bad pal.

Excepting that in some interviews I've heard from the authors of GNU Cash
they don't think of it as being just a personal finance program. Am not
sure where you got that idea. It never hurts to ask for features you
need. Often you'll get them. Telling a user how they can manage a
work-around while looking for something better is useful.

KDE has a non-free Quickbooks like program I beleive also. You might be
able to run Quickbooks under Wine also.

If your program doesn't offer a way to export data and has it locked
inside non-free file formats then unless you can convince the company you
bought the software from to give you an export tool then you can hardly
blame anyone other than yourself and the company you bought it from. If
someone manages/bothers to reverse-engineer it then great you found a
loophole and should love that person but you hardly have a right to expect
this.

It's all like giving your money to one person that rips you off and going
down the street and bitching at someone else for not giving you back what
the other guy took from you. :)