Killer apps/"selling" points of FC and GNU/Linux

[Kyrre Ness Sjobak]

ons, 17.11.2004 kl. 18.38 skrev Tim Daly:
> Sean,
> 
> I believe that an open science platform is the kind of killer app
> you're looking for which will, gradually, convince a fair sized
> group of people to use linux.
> 
> First, since is an open enterprise by philosophy (if not in fact).
> 
> Second, there are a large number of freely available scientific apps
> 
> Third, a LiveCD kind of platform can introduce a science platform to
> students and professors at minimal impact and cost (Quantian is an
> example).
> 
> Fourth, introducing students to these science apps creates a growing
> pool of people who learn and learn to need linux to support their skills.
> 
> It will take time but there has already been some discussion of the
> concept with RedHat. It would be of interest to them because it opens
> up the educational market at minimal cost. It also opens up the science
> conference market at the same minimal cost (distribution of LiveCDs).
> 
> It is also of interest to developers of these packages because they
> have the "leverage" of being included in these distributions and a
> common method of sharing code and research work.
> 
> Such systems we've termed "Doyen systems" (a doyen is the senior or
> most experienced person in a group). An effort is underway to build
> such a science platform using a LiveCD for distribution and a Wiki
> for the host portion of the system.
> 
> This won't attract everyone but it has the key aspect of attracting
> students, similar to the advantage Unix had in its early life.
> 
> Tim Daly

While you are mentioning it - where can i find such scientific apps? I
am perticurlary interested in a chemistry drawing app (have you ever
tried drawing organic molecules in OO? Don't even think about it...),
and maybe a free math thingy similar to matematica. A user-friendly
frontend to gnuplot which has the capability to export images would also
be nice.

My school might also be looking for a Linux app to drive their
datalogging equipment (don't ask me what they are... Looks like little
black boxes which is connected to USB, with two Jack and three "DIN"
like inputs in front, where you plug in the acctual equipment, such as
distance/speed/acceleration-meters, temperature-sensors, pH-meters etc.)

And on top of all of those demands - it would be nice to get them by
RPM. Plug'n'play (pray?) software installation.