[scribus] New Linux User -- Scribus in place of PageMaker 6?

[John Beardmore]

Frank Swygert wrote:
> Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2008 01:33:52 +0100
> From: John Beardmore <John at T4sLtd.co.uk>

> John:
> I can see the writing on the wall for PM6.
> 
> Even under win2k it seemed to have the habit of turning into a zombie 
> process on termination, not freeing system resources, and locking access 
> to the printer. And it was none too stable when printing, had problems 
> making high resolution PDFs, issues with the reusability of material, 
> and no spelling checker. OK, it works under XP, but vista and
> beyond ?
> 
> Frank:
> I've never had a problem with PM6 at all on XP or 98SE, had heard that 
> W2K (and wasn't there another version between 98SE and XP?

Windows ME perhaps ?


) could have
> problems and really wasn't that much better than 98SE,

I all other respects 2k blew away 98 et al.  Some semblance of stability 
for a start !


> and saw no reason 
> to upgrade until XP. The only thing I don't like in XP/PM6 is that the 
> wheel on the mouse doesn't do anything. But I don't know how PM6 would 
> run under Vista. That's why I'm exploring Linux now -- if I upgrade from 
> XP anytime soon it will be to Linux.

That's more or less my stance.


> If necessary I can always dual boot 
> or run another computer with XP, but don't really want to do that.

Or run http://www.virtualbox.org/ or whatever...


>> (I bought and sent back PM7, and looked at a demo of InDesign -- 
>> obviously PM7 was a gateway between the two, trying to "push" PM users 
>> in that direction).
> 
> John:
> I'm not sure about that. InDesign came out long before PM7 as I recall. 
> The way Adobe did that in itself irritated me immensely.
> 
> The best gateway would have been for Adobe to make InDesign import P65 
> files properly. Not a happy experience !
> 
> Frank: What I meant was I believe PM7 was made to look and work more 
> like InDesign than previous PM versions to push PM users toward 
> InDesign. The only thing that worked better on PM7 was the importation 
> of older versions. I think the differing file formats of PM vs ID made 
> importing difficult.
> 
> I didn't present my point about stores selling software well did I? The 
> main reason is in the average consumer's mind (at least in the US... the 
> UK is a bit more pregressive I think, but really can't say!) something 
> hasn't reached legitimacy until they see it on store shelves.

I think it depends what community you are in.


> Linux is 
> something techies play with and not many people know about. LinSpire 
> (commercial version of FreeSpire) is the only easy to install/use Linux 
> I've seen on store shelves, other than on book/magazine CDs (which 
> doesn't seem to be a bad starting point). They bombed with a fee 
> software repository though. All who were familiar with Linux would more 
> than likely recommend people stay away from something that charged for 
> what they could get for free with other distros. LinSpire DID attempt to 
> make it easy to upgrade/download, so it's not like the fee was for 
> nothing, but even I saw it as more of a way to make more money than to 
> provide funding for the service, which really didn't cost the company much.

I don't see that it's so hard to boot and install *buntu from a 
downloaded iso image. All free...


> I may be off the point in many ways, but I'm talking to mostly technical 
> oriented people who understand and are comfortable with searching the 
> net, downloading large files, burning CDs, etc. Joe average's kids 
> might, but many rural areas still don't have high speed internet.

Yes that's a shame. Same in the UK. We do have broadband here, but at 1 
megabit per second, it's not great.


> I 
> barely do, and only because a local cable company has a radio based high 
> speed service (about the same as standard cable, maybe a little faster) 
> and dad has an 80' antenna tower (formerly for CB radio) right next 
> door. My house is only 150' from his, so I buried CAT6 cable between the 
> two.

:)  Don't think we'd get away with that here !


> Without the receiver 70' up that tower (the reach of the bucket 
> truck!) we'd be SOL or have to look into a more expensive satellite setup.
> There's more non-tech people out there than tech, though that will 
> change over the next 20 years. The fact is that until a lot of average 
> consumers start seeing Linux in stores it will be considered a techie 
> plaything to them, not something you can just go out and get like 
> Windows.

Yes -  I see what you mean. Raising the awareness of the disinterested 
is a tectonic process -  like waiting for a mashed fingernail to grow 
out.   :)


> A lot of people still think the Mac is just a high end 
> "designer" computer for geeks and "upscale" folks, not "just another 
> computer" like the ubiquitous Windows box.

:)

It's expensive for sure !


> A Linux store with banks of computers/burn CDs on demnad probably isn't 
> a good idea, I was just throwing out a possible scenario. A simple kiosk 
> with commercial looking boxed software would probably be the way to go, 
> with a couple computers running demos.

Maybe, but would the disinterested watch the demos ?


> Heck, the boxes could just be for 
> show, burn CDs from a master computer as needed or have them in 
> envelopes ready to go, like some stores do for DVDs and music CDs. 
> Burning a few at a time and having the capability to produce on demand 
> would keep inventory down though.

Yes.


Cheers, J/.
-- 
John Beardmore, MSc EDM (Open), B.A. Chem (Oxon), CMIOSH, AIEMA, MEI
Managing Director, T4 Sustainability Limited. http://www.T4sLtd.co.uk/
Carbon Trust Consultant: Energy Audit, Carbon Footprint, Design Advice
Energy Efficiency Accreditation Scheme, (EEAS), Registered Assessor
Phone: 0845 4561332   Mobile: 07785 563116   Skype: t4sustainability