Comments on: Linux in crisis at Beaumont Hospital http://www.eire.com/2005/linux-in-crisis-at-beaumont-hospital/ Government, Infrastructure, Business Mon, 07 Nov 2011 07:06:19 +0000 hourly 1 By: Mark O'Sullivan http://www.eire.com/2005/linux-in-crisis-at-beaumont-hospital/comment-page-1/#comment-15111 Mark O'Sullivan Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.eire.com/wordpress/?p=173#comment-15111 Antoin, moving from MS Office to Openoffice.org is not a big change. Openoffice.org version 2.0 is virtually indestinguishable from MS Office. Nor are the Linux desktops available all that different from Windows. This disupute is political/economic, not technical, IMO. MS Ireland have long been hostile to this working example of Open Source and would probably offer discounts to Beaumont to re-adopt their software. The unfortuate thing about this dispute is that it eclipses other benefits that have arisen from adopting Open Source at Beaumont. They have been active in developing and collaborating in the development of OSS software now shared with other hospitals across Europe. Antoin, moving from MS Office to Openoffice.org is not a big change. Openoffice.org version 2.0 is virtually indestinguishable from MS Office. Nor are the Linux desktops available all that different from Windows. This disupute is political/economic, not technical, IMO.

MS Ireland have long been hostile to this working example of Open Source and would probably offer discounts to Beaumont to re-adopt their software.

The unfortuate thing about this dispute is that it eclipses other benefits that have arisen from adopting Open Source at Beaumont. They have been active in developing and collaborating in the development of OSS software now shared with other hospitals across Europe.

]]> By: Antoin O Lachtnain http://www.eire.com/2005/linux-in-crisis-at-beaumont-hospital/comment-page-1/#comment-15112 Antoin O Lachtnain Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.eire.com/wordpress/?p=173#comment-15112 Well, I don't know if it's quite 'indistinguishable' from MS Office. But I'd probably reluctantly agree that it's as good, or nearly as good. You certainly can't fault it for value-for-money, and for the average user who just knocks out the odd document, it's definitely fine. I say I'm not surprised, because it's hard to get people to deal with something different from the standard. There're always some complaints and moaning, even if the issues are minor. I think that for such a dominant player to offer special discounts in this circumstances would be very suspect. But no real facts have come out yet on this issue. Well, I don’t know if it’s quite ‘indistinguishable’ from MS Office. But I’d probably reluctantly agree that it’s as good, or nearly as good. You certainly can’t fault it for value-for-money, and for the average user who just knocks out the odd document, it’s definitely fine.

I say I’m not surprised, because it’s hard to get people to deal with something different from the standard. There’re always some complaints and moaning, even if the issues are minor.

I think that for such a dominant player to offer special discounts in this circumstances would be very suspect. But no real facts have come out yet on this issue.

]]>