Novell announces Evolution 2.0, free Connector [LWN.net]

Novell announces Evolution 2.0, free Connector

Posted May 11, 2004 16:17 UTC (Tue) by einstein (guest, #2052) [Link] (1 responses)

Have you considered linux?

Novell announces Evolution 2.0, free Connector

Posted May 11, 2004 20:28 UTC (Tue) by pivot (guest, #588) [Link]

It's for all my friends who run outlook because they don't know anything resembling it, and don't know what I know about viruses, spyware and all other malice I frequently have to help my friends remove from their computer.

I dont know too many that needs to connect to an exchange server that isn't already in a corporation that can afford the cost of the (previously commercial) connector license.

Windows version of Evolution

Posted May 11, 2004 16:20 UTC (Tue) by mjr (guest, #6979) [Link]

Actually, Ximian are working on a Windows version of Evolution according to this article, posted earlier also on LWN.

Novell announces Evolution 2.0, free Connector

Posted May 11, 2004 16:24 UTC (Tue) by einstein (guest, #2052) [Link] (9 responses)

Last I checked, there were programs available which allow an ms windows pc to talk to an ms exchange mail server -

Creating another windows program for access to ms exchange would do nothing for linux, so I'm not sure what the point would be...

Novell announces Evolution 2.0, free Connector

Posted May 11, 2004 17:29 UTC (Tue) by elanthis (guest, #6227) [Link] (7 responses)

Because doing things "for linux" isn't the purpose of either Free Software or Open Source, Einstein.

Open Source is about technical and social excellence, independent of platform. Free Software is about providing Freedom to users. Many users _can't_ switch to Linux because they need certain proprietary programs. Just because they use one such program doesn't mean we have to force them to use a proprietary email app too. Additionally, Evolution on Windows provides an easier migration to Linux, if that is indeed your goal. Just think, a user converts to Evolution. Then maybe also OpenOffice.org. Eventually (note, not all in one go, but over time) they will be running all Open Source/Free Software applications. All that is left is the OS itself. As is now, they'll not only have to switch their OS, but most of their apps as well. Switching is thus just a huge pain, because it's an all or nothing approach.

Novell announces Evolution 2.0, free Connector

Posted May 12, 2004 0:01 UTC (Wed) by einstein (guest, #2052) [Link] (6 responses)

elanthis wrote:

"Because doing things "for linux" isn't the purpose of either Free
Software or Open Source, Einstein"

Somehow, I can't help but think that for a major linux vendor, taking
care of their own customers would be a higher priority than, say, making
life better for microsoft customers.

Is it just me?

Novell announces Evolution 2.0, free Connector

Posted May 12, 2004 0:30 UTC (Wed) by robla (subscriber, #424) [Link] (4 responses)

Novell has on the order of $1 billion in annual revenue. I'm sure most of their present customers run Windows on the desktop.

Novell announces Evolution 2.0, free Connector

Posted May 12, 2004 3:07 UTC (Wed) by einstein (guest, #2052) [Link] (3 responses)

100% of novell's ximian evolution using customers run linux. I applaud their decision to focus on their own customers by enhancing evolution's capabilities - not to say there won't eventually be fun toys for the windoze crowd, I just don't see that being a big priority for them.

Novell announces Evolution 2.0, free Connector

Posted May 12, 2004 6:52 UTC (Wed) by piman (guest, #8957) [Link] (2 responses)

What, no BSD?

Novell announces Evolution 2.0, free Connector

Posted May 12, 2004 7:02 UTC (Wed) by einstein (guest, #2052) [Link]

piman says " What, no BSD?"

I should have said "100% unix type OSes", OK, bsd (and solaris?) have some share of that, but it's mostly linux. Does bsd running it in linux emulation count? I don't know, but that's an excellent question.

One certainty is that suse/ximian (now novell) is in the linux business.

What no BSD ?

Posted May 12, 2004 12:25 UTC (Wed) by copsewood (subscriber, #199) [Link]

If you want a BSD port then download the source, compile, debug (to cover minor differences in system calls and headers etc ?) and develop a compatible patch which can go into the mainstream. That's one of the benefits of free software.

Novell announces Evolution 2.0, free Connector

Posted Jun 22, 2004 16:20 UTC (Tue) by dagwud (guest, #22506) [Link]

Einstein wrote:

"Somehow, I can't help but think that for a major linux vendor, taking
care of their own customers would be a higher priority than, say, making
life better for microsoft customers. "

What about all of "their own customers" who use Groupwise? Evoluation 2.0 is going to support Groupwise. This gives Windows users an alternative to the standard Groupwise client. Given that I don't like the standard Groupwise client, I see this as a good thing.

Novell announces Evolution 2.0, free Connector

Posted May 11, 2004 18:23 UTC (Tue) by lolando (guest, #7139) [Link]

Whether you consider it as winning a battle in the "war against Microsoft" so popular among certain people (including posters on a well-known self-proclaimed provider of "news for geeks"), or increasing the choice of users, it still offers a (probably) viable alternative to Outlook. As a consequence, it will necessarily have a positive effect, viz. people will be made aware that e-mail != Outlook, just as web != Internet Explorer. Having gained some (admittedly tiny) piece of education, they'll have a wider alternative when they need to choose their applications (being aware that one has a choice may be the hardest part). Education increases freedom.

And then they'll flock to free software :-)