[Nottingham] Evangelism

[Derek Huskisson]

On Sunday 26 Jun 2005 14:15, Michael Leuty wrote:
> I am therefore wondering what the advantages are of converting the
> clients to Linux, rather than leaving them as Windows boxes. I realise
> that there are some. I imagine they would be less prone to malware, and
> we could save on antivirus subscriptions. It would also prevent
> well-meaning people from popping in and installing software or
> hardware, just to be helpful.

     Using the various forms of Windows in a small organization often means 
using MS Word, Excel and maybe Access. These are all propriety forms of data 
"capture", especially if it is written away in a form which is software 
patented. It could mean in the future that you will have difficulty getting 
your own data back. 

  The EU has realised this  and will be moving over to one or two of the OASIS 
formats. MS Word will also be doing this -- perhaps not as its default 
format, but thats in the future and you will have to spend £££s to get the 
new version.

			Derek