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sctb0825

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Don't know where to post this so I will start here.

I have been trying to migrate away from Windows completely for some time. I would like to see more of the linux developers work on Business software to replace the software I can only use on Windows. I have also written to the publishers of software like PDFill, Paint Shop Pro, and Adobe Reader to create linux versions. Would like to see Office suite more developed to be more complete like Microsoft Office. Love linux and it is pretty much user friendly but it needs more business software the is well written. If anyone has suggestion on existing software to try I am listening. Don't do any gaming I just run my business.
 


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Oh, I've lost track of the number of times I've heard this same spiel over the years...

sctb0825 said:
Would like to see Office suite more developed to be more complete like Microsoft Office.
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I think what you really mean is that you're so used to M$ Office that you cannot imagine using anything else.

I have also written to the publishers of software like PDFill, Paint Shop Pro, and Adobe Reader to create linux versions.
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You're pretty much a lone wolf, howling in the wilderness, my friend. These companies are in business to make money out of the software they develop. If they develop a Linux version, they will expect people to pay for that, too. I doubt many will. Folks this side of the fence are too used to getting good-quality software for nothing. Why would you imagine Linux users will suddenly start paying for everything, left, right & centre?

And because they probably won't, any Linux version will rapidly get withdrawn. No, I doubt you'll get any joy there.

I would like to see more of the linux developers work on Business software to replace the software I can only use on Windows.
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I don't know where you get this idea from. There are no end of programs/apps that are cross-platform in nature. A lot of stuff is written to be platform-agnostic. You, unfortunately, appear to have gone for all "Windows-only" software.

(It's called "vendor lock-in", mate...)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

I haven't run "the Beast" for the best part of a decade. I don't miss it, either.....and I'm quite capable of doing everything I used to do under Windows (and then some).

Apps over here have different names, and often have a different work-flow, yet they'll still give you the same end result that you'd achieve with similar software under Windows. This appears to be the sticking-point; too many people get stuck in a rut with respect to the way they get used to doing things on a daily basis, and are NOT prepared to try some thing new.

Well, all I can say is.....it's your loss, my friend. Not mine.


Mike. ;)
 
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Welcome to the forums.

I hope you are at least trying the software that is available, at least for visual things such as Blender, GIMP, Inkscape, Krita etc. (Since you mentioned Paint Shop Pro but I've never used that program, primarily I use GIMP for editing images and Inkscape for creating half-detailed drawings.) Maybe they are not as awesome as the payware that you have listed, but they cannot be taken lightly. That said, each program has its own learning curve. One drawback is that the documentation, for the free software I have just listed, is lacking in places. While the MacOS- and Windows-only have to be better about it, which is one reason why people buy.

It's worth trying Libreoffice. But keep in mind that it represents a past era of GUI design and user's workflow. It's not going to be to everybody's taste. Closer to M$ office are OnlyOffice Desktop Editors and WPS. The latter is better for people who are constantly connected to Internet; it has its own "cloud" which stores backups of your stuff. It's something that unpleasantly surprised me one day. I wish I could have some control over it and otherwise, I must use one of those programs offline.

These past couple of years when I visited Best Buy stores in the U.S.A., I've seen Chromebooks being sold with sales carton blaring out, "M$ Office works on this system!" But I don't know what else to tell you further.

Adobe Reader, is this only to view PDF files? There are some choices in Linux: Okular which is part of the KDE desktop suite, and Atril which is part of MATE desktop. Either could be installed to any desktop and are good enough for most documents. They might not support the "latest, greatest" changes Adobe made to the file format, though. It wouldn't hurt to check them out.
 
wendy-lebaron said:
Welcome to the forums.

I hope you are at least trying the software that is available, at least for visual things such as Blender, GIMP, Inkscape, Krita etc. (Since you mentioned Paint Shop Pro but I've never used that program, primarily I use GIMP for editing images and Inkscape for creating half-detailed drawings.) Maybe they are not as awesome as the payware that you have listed, but they cannot be taken lightly. That said, each program has its own learning curve. One drawback is that the documentation, for the free software I have just listed, is lacking in places. While the MacOS- and Windows-only have to be better about it, which is one reason why people buy.

It's worth trying Libreoffice. But keep in mind that it represents a past era of GUI design and user's workflow. It's not going to be to everybody's taste. Closer to M$ office are OnlyOffice Desktop Editors and WPS. The latter is better for people who are constantly connected to Internet; it has its own "cloud" which stores backups of your stuff. It's something that unpleasantly surprised me one day. I wish I could have some control over it and otherwise, I must use one of those programs offline.

These past couple of years when I visited Best Buy stores in the U.S.A., I've seen Chromebooks being sold with sales carton blaring out, "M$ Office works on this system!" But I don't know what else to tell you further.

Adobe Reader, is this only to view PDF files? There are some choices in Linux: Okular which is part of the KDE desktop suite, and Atril which is part of MATE desktop. Either could be installed to any desktop and are good enough for most documents. They might not support the "latest, greatest" changes Adobe made to the file format, though. It wouldn't hurt to check them out.
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I think people are misunderstanding me, I have only used microsoft products because that is all I had was windows, I am looking for replacement software because I am getting rid of microsoft and using linux mint. Some of the software I use works fine using Crossover. I was able to find some software on Alternativeto.net. I appreciate the constructive feedback. There are a lot of apps in the linux app store but for a new user like me it is difficult to understand what a lot of them do. I noticed that there are not a lot of app for business tasks and an over abundance of gaming and audio/video apps. If in fact linux is honestly working to provide an alternative to windows we need more developers working on business apps. Most business apps are pay apps and I am not opposed to that as long as they provide a demo so the app can be tested before purchase. I realize that most of the linux apps are freeware and that is good but some of the business app have to be a paid version. Thank you for your comments
 
Don't tell me Blender is not business-grade. How about this site:


Many examples were made with Blender or with Bforartists. Only because either is offered for free doesn't mean it isn't good enough to use in a business environment.

You might want to check out Krita. Notice when it begins, the picture that it puts on. That couldn't have been by somebody who worked for leisure only, instead by a professional artist doing it for a living.

Some of the best software, free or not, and regardless of license is being developed by paid teams.

I tell you what. Red Hat Enterprises Linux and its closely-related distros such as Springdale, are aimed at small businesses or larger. They offer the same free software (*) as I've listed in my previous post. There's no restriction on whether an user utilizes such software for leisure or for profit. If not for leisure, it would have to go into specialized stuff like computer-aided design (CAD), or software used by mathematicians and scientists.

(*) Side note: I have AlmaLinux GNOME live ISO which does come with Inkscape, which cannot be said about many Linux distros. Some others like Debian "Bullseye" KDE and MATE come with GIMP, while GNOME version should have it but doesn't.

You do have the choice of going with Wine and Windows applications as far as you could get. But keep in mind that Wine will not make your Linux system exactly like Windows. There will be many lagoons in functionality. Compatibility with Windows10 gets better everyday but sadly that operating system will be end-of-life soon. Then you'll want to use something else that will make you want to go back to Windows if you don't take the Linux options more seriously. As I've said, every program has its particular learning curve. But it's silly to dismiss a program is not good enough because it's free software, "needs" to be sold so it's considered good for business.

You also have the choice of using a Linux distribution other than Linux Mint. One which has KDE Plasma desktop, which keeps being praised for its good looks and deep configuration. As far as somebody who expects Linux to act and look like Windows as much as possible.
 
@sctb0825 :-

Don't forget, the German City of Munich attempted to switch its entire infrastructure across to Linux some years ago.....Ubuntu (I think). They had to retreat back to Windows in the end; not because the software wasn't good enough, simply because the city's staff refused to learn a different way of doing things. They wanted to stay with what they were USED to.....because people get "stuck in a rut" with regards to their 'work-flow'. And in this politically-correct-gone-mad world we now live in, where nobody is allowed to offend anyone, you have to be polite and "nice" to everyone - even if you despise them - and everybody MUST be considerate of everybody else's feelings (even if they're not considerate of yours), I guess the City felt it had no option but to either respect the demands of their workforce, or else face a 'perfect storm' of criticism, libel cases and non-stop workplace tribunals. In other words, they capitulated.

(shrug...)

Sorry if I came across a bit strong earlier; I thought you were one of these trolls that just like to post purely for the sake of complaining. Which you're clearly not.

(What I said earlier about asking developers of proprietary software to write versions for Linux does, unfortunately, hold true. Some might listen to you.....but by & large, it'll fall on deaf ears.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As wendy-lebaron says, there will be something of a learning curve.....but it's not insurmountable. Probably the most common "comparison" is between Photoshop and the G.I.M.P; each has its adherents and detractors. Fans of one insist that they can't understand how anybody could do stuff in the other.....but, at the end of the day, they're both raster graphics editors, and under the hood both do largely the same things in much the same way. It's just the interface that's a bit different.

I've used both alongside each other for nearly 20 years. I'm so used to the pair of them that I can switch apps mid-project and carry on from where I left off, without missing a beat. That, of course, only comes from long familiarity with the software.....but if an idiot like me can do it, so can anybody else. A lot boils down to how determined you are to make "the switch".

Just persevere. It's not beyond you, and we're always here to offer help, advice and encouragement. You'll get there in the end.


Mike. :)
 
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