Linux Desktop for university staff

[Hodgins Family]

Good afternoon!

> And when we do have money for software, we chemistry folks want
> new instruments and don't much care about the operating system or the
> application vendor as long as the OS and applications can talk to the 
> instruments.
> 
> One problem we face with Linux is lack of this specialty software.  We
> have to have some Windows boxes simply because the Linuc boxes we have
> won't talk to the instruments.

I was wondering when this point would rear it's head. Specialty
software. Yes, specialty software can be a pig. And it is a joyous
occasion when a vendor actually provides software that CAN talk to our
hardware reliably, isn't it? It is a wonderful feeling to know that the
vendor-supplied software isn't simply a beta for us to trouble-shoot
before the vendor takes the hardware/software package out to sell to
industry. 


However, the OP wasn't asking about vendor or specialty software. He was
looking for set of "Desktop applications".


>  2) The professoriate are also subject to "ego". I would argue that it is
> > more important to the academic class to be seen using an expensive
> > application (for show-value) instead of a cheaper (or free) application
> > that might imply that their work/research grants don't merit a higher
> > level of funding. And ego amongst our academics is as vital a force as
> > peer pressure.
> Unless you're talking about comp sci professors, that statement probably
> doesn't carry much weight.  We chemists, for instance, are more impressed
> with a nice LC/MS setup than an expensive spreadsheet. :)
> 

Oh, Dr. Taylor! Ouch! Somebody in comp sci gonna bite 'cha fer that!

:) Rob ;)