A good Public Backpedal

There’s nothing quite like watching the spin on a good public backpedal.

If you’ve been with Penguin Shell for long, you know that I’ve taken a fairly
strong stand on Lindows,
the hybrid distribution that’s promised for more than a year and a half to make
the most popular Windows programs run in Linux. While I’ve always seen the
potential for Lindows to draw users away from Microsoft, I’ve also had several
serious concerns

First, I felt the public posturing by Lindows CEO Michael Robertson carried far
too high a profile. That’s been purely a concern about credibility. The tech
world has taken a beating the past few years, in part because of a strong
ability to promise and a weak ability to deliver. Lindows, nearly a year after
its original release schedule, still has not fulfilled the very public promises
of its CEO. To his credit, Mr. Robertson has taken a much lower profile in the
past few months, even as his company announced a deal with Wal-Mart that would
make beta version LindowsOS installed computers available online.

The second concern centered on the wisdom of intermingling Windows and Linux in
more than just a marginal way. Admittedly, that’s a personal issue. I use Linux,

in part, because I don’t want to use Windows. With a few exceptions (which have
been nicely met by the work of CodeWeavers) using Windows apps in Linux doesn’t interest
me. I also don’t think the strategy does new Linux users any favors. Linux,
really, is best learned in as immersive a fashion as possible. And, it’s very
stable. I don’t believe that new Linux users - the core market at which
LindowsOS is aimed - will be able to fully appreciate the stability and
reliability of Linux if, in fact, it’s a version that’s hybridized with
Windows.

My first commentary on Lindows drew a vitriolic email response from Michael
Robertson. In his defense, he’d just spent four days in depositions for a
trademark infringement suit filed against Lindows by Microsoft. Understand that
there are very few things in the litigation world more tedious, time-consuming
and frustrating that depositions. Mr. Robertson was, understandably, in full
“CEO in defense of God and country” battle mode. Fair enough. However, he
provided no real explanation or support for the LindowsOS strategy, choosing,
instead to rail against both Microsoft and me personally.

Wednesday, ZDNet published
an interesting article on the ever-evolving LindowsOS marketing strategy.
According to the article, LindowsOS has subtly moved away from the “run Windows
applications in Linux” strategy toward one that emphasizes ease of installation
for new Linux users. The $99 per year subscription “Click-N-Run Warehouse”
feature has now superseded Windows compatibility as the primary focus of the
LindowsOS product. Even the Wal-Mart site has moved the Windows compatibility
feature out of the forefront.

This shift in focus seems due, in part, to the severed relationship between
LindowsOS and CodeWeavers. Until April, CodeWeavers was providing much of the
LindowsOS code. That relationship ended when CodeWeavers released Crossover
Office, a product we’ve reviewed favorably in Penguin Shell. Without that
relationship and code, LindowsOS looks more than ever like a ship adrift in the
storm.

So, I’ll go on the record once again. Tally another case of a tech CEO who
appears to be better at garnering publicity than delivering a product. Yes, it’s

another mark in the column of marginal credibility for the tech industry but,
quite frankly, it’s a small one. A squeaking mouse on a savanna of roaring
lions, as it were. It won’t kill us - it just doesn’t make us any stronger,
either.

My advice? If you’re new to Linux and looking for an easy install, download or
buy Mandrake, Suse or Red Hat. The install process in the latest versions of
these fine Linux distros is easier than a Windows install. Really. And, all have

excellent built-in programs to keep your Linux installation up to date. If
you’re looking for Windows compatibility and willing to pay for it, get
CodeWeavers Crossover products. They work as promised. If you’re unwilling to
pay for Linux software but still need some Windows compatibility, get Wine and be prepared to make
up in time and patience what you save in cash. The long and short of it? What’s
best for Linux is what’s done for Linux.

Here’s a quick correction before I head west on I-80 to Gnomedex. The Zaurus
Hardware Review link from Tuesday’s Penguin Shell was wrong. You can find the
review at http://www.the-gadgeteer.com/zaurus-sl-5000d-review.html.

I’ll be back on Monday with all the dirt on Gnomedex. Have a great
weekend.

See you in Des
Moines