| Timing Perfect for Sun's Java Desktop System |
by Tom Adelstein (Mar. 23, 2004)
While the EU finalizes a fine of $613 million relating to Microsoft's antitrust violations, Sun Microsystems appears poised to capture a large piece of the desktop market for Intel based personal computers. As Sun says on their Web Site, they have “delivered the first viable Microsoft Windows alternative in fifteen years”.
Since December, I have examined Sun's Java Desktop System (JDS) daily and compared it to every desktop operating system I could find. Some may not consider this a productive activity but I enjoy the work. Why have I done it? To complete a book on JDS for one publisher and a market survey for another.
Much of my research occurred in a lab where I compared JDS to every distribution of Linux I could find. I also compared JDS to Windows 98SE to XP and to Apple's Macintosh OS9 and OS X. I admit, my findings surprised me.
To cover as much territory as possible, I read every entry in the JDS Forum at Sun, daily reviews written in English and some in Spanish and German. I have also interviewed Sun's product managers, their technical manager, and members of the staff. Additionally, I have monitored the developers' mailing lists.
From product reviews I have learned how much people do not know about the Linux Desktop. From critics, I have wondered if they even used the product. From the Linux users, I discovered how some understand and know a great desktop when they see it and others need additional education.
Overall
The Java Desktop System provides a major win for Linux and a serious blow to Microsoft. Rank this product miles ahead of the other specialized Linux distributions. It's not a server but can work well in a small office, home office network. It plays nicely with other Linux distributions, Windows and Macintosh.
The major applications have tweaks that Sun added to make JDS special. The key productivity applications include StarOffice, Evolution, GIMP, Mozilla and gaim. They compete with Microsoft Office and Outlook, Adobe Photoshop, Internet Explorer and AOL Instant Messenger. You can find versions of these applications in other distributions but Sun's just work better.
Office Productivity
Contrary to the raving of the OpenOffice.org community, StarOffice outperforms the free version. I added fonts and compiled the latest OpenOffice.org but I haven't achieved the performance increases or quality of StarOffice. I have compared StarOffice to every version of Microsoft from version 4.3 to 2003. As a Microsoft Product Specialist, I say that StarOffice exceeds the quality of any MS Office product.
Once I learned to migrate mail, contacts, meetings, etc. from Outlook to Evolution, I discovered how much I liked the Sun version. For Outlook users, you'll find that Sun gives you a friendly interface and features you don't get in Outlook.
Internet Applications
Sun gives you a full suite of Internet applications aside from a terrific Internet Browser. Microsoft's Services for UNIX remind me of a fax of a photograph in comparison. Even so, I have found some annoyances with JDS. The VNC server I use for remote desktop connectivity doesn't work in the current version of JDS. I also could not find a useful GUI Secure FTP client.
To resolve the latter problem, I run WinSCP with Codeweavers Crossover Office. For the makers of gFTP, I recommend building a version just for Sun. Once I added Codeweavers to JDS I also installed the Win32 version of eFax instead of using the Web Interface for Linux.
Virtual Network Computing or VNC has two components: A client and a server. The VCN client works perfectly with JDS. In the forthcoming JDS Release II, Sun's product managers assure me than VNC server will come bundled.
Graphics and Multi-media
JDS offers a complete suite of graphic tools with the GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) at the top. I have used Adobe Photoshop for years and approached GIMP with a bias. The JDS version of GIMP provides a rich experience for Photoshop users. I found myself more productive with GIMP than Photoshop. I also saved money because all the kinds of plugins I usually add to Photoshop came with GIMP.
One complaint people expressed about JDS involved the lack of a DVD player. This problem faces every Linux user. However, in some countries people use the Xine player which works well. Unfortunately, in the US use of DVD in Linux is illegal. If you choose to adopt JDS, you'll find Xine works well in JDS. Just use it where it's legal.
The Gnome Desktop
We refer to the presentation layer between a PC operating system and you as a Graphic User Interface (GUI). Microsoft calls its GUI Windows while Apple refers to theirs as Aqua. The Java Desktop System uses Gnome. Sun engineered Gnome to optimize performance and produce pleasant visual effects.
For Linux users who prefer the other Linux GUI called KDE, JDS doesn't offer you that option. As a long time fan of KDE, I had to get used to Gnome. Once I did, I found that I actually like JDS' version of Gnome. Sun engineered their version to render smoothly and provide a pleasant user experience.
Known Issues
You might ask if I think the Sun Java Desktop System is perfect. Of course, no personal computer operating system qualifies as perfect. In my opinion, JDS qualifies as a great desktop. I prefer it to any other I have tested. I use it as my desktop operating system.
If you want look at the known issues with JDS (Release I) then visit this link. Keep in mind that the new update fixes many of those problems. You can purchase JDS for $50 before June 2, 2004 and wind up with free updates for one year. After June 2nd, the system cost goes to $100.
Some Final Comments
People in the Linux community have many choices of distributions whether it's Debian, Red Hat, Fedora, SuSE, Mandrake, Gentoo or others. I like the diversity and options available in free and Open Source Software. If you have mastered any aspect of Linux and like the distribution you have, stay with it. The Java Desktop System fits people who do not want to compile a new kernel or have the latest version of whatever application.
If you want a pleasant user experience and like stability JDS fulfills the promise of the “Professional” series of workstations Microsoft has claimed to have. JDS also makes a great desktop for the workplace. JDS also provides unparalleled value compared to Apple or Microsoft products.
For the corporate user, I did not cover the server end of the Java Desktop System. Sun has a bundle of products for you called the Java Enterprise System at this link. Sun has already announced that these back office products will run on Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
Also consider looking at Sun's Java Desktop System Management Tools at this link. You will find ample information on Sun's JDS Configuration Manager and the Control Station. I plan to devote a series of articles on these JDS products in the future.
For many of us, the time has come to look at alternatives to Microsoft. Fortunately, we now have one that meets and often exceeds our expectations. I hope this article has encouraged you to take a close look at Sun's Java Desktop System.
About the author: Tom Adelstein works as a Linux consultant in Dallas, Texas. He focuses on Open Source opportunity reviews to identify places where organizations can use open source software. His current interest lies with Linux in Government.
Tom began Project Leopard, a LAMP runtime and development project for rapid deployment of web services in government. Tom also launched Government Forge, a Web site devoted to providing a repository of free Open Source software for state and local governments. Government Forge is now part of the Open Source Software Institute.
In November 2002, Tom initiated the legislation for Open Source Software in Texas which resulted in Senate Bill 1579 filed by State Senator John Carona.
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