[clug] retail software

[Peter Anderson]

David,

I'm probably not your "normal" Linux user, my desktop PC is still 
Windows XP while my laptop is Ubuntu (8.06). To date I have only FOSS 
applications on the Linux box but that's because I have not yet had the 
need for a commercial application. On the WinXP box I have a mix of 
shareware and FOSS applications. I tend not to use "real" commercial 
applications such as MS Office, Norton, Symantec, Adobe, etc. etc. -- 
with the one obvious exception; Microsoft Windows XP! ;-)

In fact part of the reason I have not made the switch to all Ubuntu is 
that there are several applications that I can't find replacements for 
in the Linux world -- EditPad text editor, Pretty Good Solitaire, 
Atlantis Word Processor, GS-Calc and GS-Base are some (EditPad is the 
most important).

If you are going to develop commercial applications for Linux there are 
three requirements they must have for me to purchase them:

   1. They are not just better than their FOSS alternatives but *they
      must be significantly better*;
   2. They *must* use the system packet manager (apt in my case); and
   3. They must be reasonable value; if your boss is going to follow
      Microsoft and charge "Microsoft prices" then your products are doomed.

Hope that helps.

Peter
-- 
*Peter Anderson*
There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to 
conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the 
introduction of a new order of things—Niccolo Machiavelli, /The Prince/, 
ch. 6