According to a recent survey conducted by the Open Source Development Labs (OSDL), the lack of truly effective email applications has hindered the expansion of Linux in the desktop market.
The survey, which involved over 3,300 participants in October 2005, revealed that there are no high-quality email programs available, preventing Linux from becoming a convincing alternative for desktop users. Email is currently rated as the most important application across all platforms.
The survey results clearly indicate that application providers need to focus more on enhancing the quality of Linux email applications on the desktop.
Novell has released email, calendar, and utility applications for Linux, along with connectivity to Microsoft Exchange. The open-source organization Mozilla also recently announced a roadmap for Lightning, a project that integrates the Sunbird calendar application with the Thunderbird email program. Sunbird previously operated as an independent extension with Firefox and Thunderbird.
Additionally, insufficient support and difficulties in user training significantly impact the deployment of Linux on desktops. Some believe that training would be less burdensome if Linux were compatible with applications like Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop.
People no longer view Linux primarily as a development and programming tool. A “cultural shift” is also occurring within businesses, with an increasing number of companies taking open-source software seriously. The cost of proprietary licenses is a fundamental reason for Linux’s penetration into the desktop market.
This week, Richard Stallman, the author of the GNU General Public License (GPL), announced that the Free Software Foundation (FSF) has decided to revise and review the regulations governing free software. The new GNU version will be released in Spring 2007, named GPLv3.
The motivation for this change is to address intellectual property rights in general, not just in the United States. According to Stallman, the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) are working to standardize copyright laws globally.
The current version of the GPL was completed 15 years ago. Since then, WIPO has adopted several significant statutes, such as WIPO copyright law, patent law, and enforcement…
Stallman believes the current GPL is no longer adequate due to the rapid expansion of free and open-source software. The research firm Gartner also predicts that by 2010, over 75% of information technology organizations will embrace free software.
“We will continue to base our principles on four fundamental criteria: the freedom to research, copy, modify, and redistribute the software that people use. GPLv3 will be developed to protect these freedoms according to social and technical conditions“.
