Lucid Green

I love Open Source software. In fact, I’m using the latest version of Ubuntu (Gutsy Gibbon) and Firefox to write this post right now. But more and more I’m starting to be convinced that the utopia Open Source software promises is just that … a utopia (a land which is nowhere). In other words, I’m starting to doubt that Open Source will ever be a wide-scale viable alternative to corporate software like Microsoft’s Office.

Why? Well, let’s look at Ubuntu. In my position as a an administrator at a small private I’ve had the opportunity to install it on as many as 15 donated laptops for our teachers. This was my grand experiment to see if Linux was ready for the world. First I spent a few weeks by myself playing with it. Things seemed to go swimmingly, sure there were a few minor annoyances, but most of those had to do with getting acclimated to a new system. I was so excited by it’s potential I not only installed it on all the teacher’s laptops but I also put my wifes old Windows XP machine in the trash and gave her a shiny new Ubuntu laptop.

Nearly a year later and what’s the verdict? Printers don’t work, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to show someone convert an open office document to word, and wireless cards?! AGGGH!!!!! Now, I know that many of these problems are not Ubuntu’s fault. If only printer manufacturers, or microsoft, or wirelss card makers would play nice… blah blah blah. The average user, doesn’t care why it doesn’t work, he only cares that it doesn’t! And to be frank I’m starting to agree with that average user.

But to be perfectly honest the main problem with Ubuntu is not wireless cards or printers. No the main problem is not really Ubuntu at all. The main problem is that there is no quality control over the open source software products on the system. Usability stinks. Things aren’t consistent from program to program, and most methods of accomplishing things seems to be modeled after Windows. I mean come on! Since when was Windows a good example to follow!?

Case in point: Open Office. That beacon of hope in the Open Source World. Did you know that there is no way to easily suppress blank lines in an address when merging addresses to labels? Seriously? And you call this office software? missing that feature alone makes this pointless to try to give to the secretaries that work in my office. Leave alone that working with tables is a pain, and don’t even bother to look at Base.

I don’t want this to be a rant. (though I know its to late for that). But please read this more like a lover scorned. I’m rooting for Open Source. I want it to succeed, I really do. I love it. But I’m a power user, and I know open source will never be much of anything until it starts answering the issues my wife faces. She wants a computer to just work. And what’s her opinion of her shiny open source computer? “Great, as long as I don’t have to actually use it.”

Heaven knows I would love to leave my proprietary world behind. I already use Open Office as my primary office software, and would have little trouble in my day-to-day existence working entirely in the open source world. There are only three small things keeping me tied to my Mac.

1. Presentations (Keynote): I do a lot of public speaking and Apple’s Keynote is the primary reason I became a Mac user to begin with. Beautiful, integrated, multi-media presentations are effortless to create. Nothing comes even remotely close to what I can do with Keynote. Linux community, please create presentation software that competes, and, or the love of Pete, do not copy power point!
2. Dreamweaver / Fireworks: I could probably do without Dreamweaver, I already use it mostly as a fancy html/css editor and don’t really use it’s WYSIWIG editor, but you have to admit it is a really good editor and the extra features are awfully handy! Fireworks on the other hand I don’t think I could do without. There just isn’t anything like it. I learned Fireworks before I ever even saw Photoshop, and really Fireworks is much better for web graphics. (at least IMHO). Some combination of The Gimp and Inkscape would have to be the Linux alternative. But I don’t relish the idea of learning 2 new programs to replace one. (Not to mention the big step in complexity it entails for my workflow).
3. Finally Omni Outliner: Just the best darn program on a Mac. I don’t really use it so much that I couldn’t live without it. But I just can’t quite imagine not having it readily available.