Non Micro Software

Microsoft leads lots of specific software markets. I'd like to escape a bit.

OS

• Getting exposed to a tiny bit of Linux[[OS]] via my Zope/iMeme account.

• Would kinda like to use Linux more, but am nervous about (a) compatibility with other people in my office, (b) maybe generally hating certain packages, and (c) running into hardware driver problems (WiFi card, etc.). Oh, and being able to Data Synch my Palm to something is key.

• Might like to play with one of the shells that let me launch Linux within Windows, at least on my meaty desktop.

Web browser

• I use Mozilla occasionally, haven't been thrilled. Will have to write some specific notes.

• Just tried K Meleon (0.6) again. Nice and fast. Killer is not having Find function work in form textareas, which is key when you write in Wiki all the time.

• Mozilla, K Meleon, and even MsIE limit me to monospaced fonts for setting a preference for monospaced fonts. For most people this is a feature. For someone who writes a lot via browser textareas (like wiki), it would be nice to be able to use a more readable font in a textarea.

  • if you control the WebApp you can set a font for a Text Area.

PIM (synch to PDA)

Office Suite (word processing, spreadsheet, etc.)

• used Star Office (on Win98) in early 2000, wasn't terribly impressed. It's supposedly better now (broken into components, so launches faster; uses XML more now for file formats).

  • 2005 update - I use OpenOffice on my work DeskTop occasionally, but stick with MsOffice there usually for file compatibility, just in case. At home I use the OpenOffice for MacOs X (can't remember the name right now).

• I use this stuff (BloatWare) less and less these days. But that could change in the future I suppose.