Web Programmers

by Galen Gruman

InfoWorld’s “Save XP” petition asking Microsoft to keep Windows XP available indefinitely, not end most sales on June 30 as currently planned, has prompted many readers to suggest that maybe the best answer for those who don’t like Vista is to switch to another operating system completely.

“Don’t be afraid. Just switch to Linux and become a member of a really free society,” wrote Carlos Raul Gutierrez.

“Windows Vista was the reason I bought a Mac mini. I didn’t want my only choices to be an operating system that would soon be obsolete (XP) or one that was buggy and would break much existing hardware (Vista), and I’m not enough of a geek to use Linux (do things from the command line? Puhleeze…),” wrote “Jack.”

How realistic is a switch to Linux or Apple’s Mac OS X? For some users — often technically savvy people such as engineers, consultants, designers and CTOs — it is clearly an option that already works quite well. In the past year, running Mac OS X or Linux as your default OS has been made easier by the capability to run Windows in a virtual machine, giving you access to both Windows-only applications and Web sites that rely on Microsoft’s Internet Explorer-only ActiveX technology. But in a business environment, switching to a Mac or Linux PC may not be quite as easy.

The Mac OS X option Of the plausible alternatives to Windows, Apple’s Mac OS X has the largest market share and history. InfoWorld chief technologist Tom Yager has written that the latest version of the Mac OS, Leopard (10.5), is simply the best operating system available. And Macs are indeed popping up more frequently even within IT circles — I’ve seen more MacBook Pros in the hands of CTOs and IT execs at conferences in the past year more than I’ve seen Mac notebooks in such venues ever. Although there are no real numbers on just the business adoption of Macs, it’s clear that Apple is in growth mode, gaining an increasing proportion of all new computer sales for more than a year now.

InfoWorld’s Yager has chronicled the adventures of one PC user who switched to the Mac OS, showing that for an individual, the conversion was ultimately a rewarding one. The TechWeb site has also provided a good guide on how to make the switch to Mac OS X.

A key tool for any Mac OS X switcher is a virtual machine to run Windows for those apps and Web sites that require it. Both Parallels Desktop 3.0 and EMC VMware’s Fusion software will do the trick, as InfoWorld’s comparative review has shown.

Although Macs are compatible with most typical hardware, such as monitors and drives, fitting a Mac into an enterprise’s management systems and ERP applications can be a different story. Yager’s Mac Enterprise blog and the Mac Enterprise user group both provide advice on managing Macs in a traditional IT environment.

The Linux option The more technically inclined may be attracted to Linux, the most popular form of desktop Unix. Linux desktops typically are challenged by limited hardware compatibility (due to lack of drivers), limited application options, and user interfaces that require active participation to get work done, which tends to keep Linux away from the general user population. But those who work with a Linux server all day may find that using it on the desktop as well actually makes their lives easier.

Just as Mac users need occasional access to Windows, so do Linux users. Because Linux distributions run on Windows-compatible hardware, it’s straightforward to use desktop virtualization software, such as Parallels Workstation, Sun’s (formerly Innotek’s) VirtualBox, and EMC VMware’s Workstation software, to provide access to both environments.

Although some enterprises have committed to wide Linux deployment — such as automaker Peugeot Citro??n’s plans to install 20,000 Novell Suse Linux desktops — most have left Linux to the engineering and development staff.

InfoWorld Enterprise Desktop blogger Randall Kennedy argues that desktop Linux is doomed to remain a tiny niche OS, given the Linux community’s lack of interest in providing a UI that regular people could use. Kennedy tried to spend a week working on nothing but the Ubuntu distribution of Linux but gave up on the fifth day.

But Kennedy’s take isn’t the last word on desktop Linux. Frequent InfoWorld contributor Neil McAllister put together a special report on how to move from Windows to Linux, concluding that the effort was not as hard as you might think.

Who’s right? As with any platform choice, they both may be. A one-size-fits-all approach may be unrealistic. And that likely explains why many businesses will have a mix, dominated by Windows XP today (and perhaps Vista in a few years) but not exclusively tied to Microsoft’s OS.

Timetotrade, a platform/website developed by Sensatus, a provider of portfolio and tax management products to financial institutions and retail investors, has introduced a web-based tax management tool that helps investors calculate and manage their capital gains tax (CGT) and income tax liabilities for all their share-related transactions.

Enabling private investors to manage their investment affairs, timetotrade claims to enable investors to generate tax forms, track company performance, maintain a trading journal, access professional trading tools and create alerts to avoid missed trading opportunities. It aims to give investors a collective insight into their tax position, and facilitates easy disposal of investments, thereby enabling users to enjoy tax breaks.

Sensatus states that the product has been developed keeping in mind the January 31, 2008 tax return deadline. Based on the HMRC Share Identification rules, timetotrade calculates the investor’s gains and losses.

Other features it supports are Indexation and Taper Relief, and also compares the current gains and losses against the carried forward investments. Based on the results, the tool determines the individual’s tax liability. It offers similar features to investment clubs.

According to timetotrade, the tax tools help investors complete the Self Assessment CGT and income tax returns and generate the information required to complete the UK Inland Revenue Form 185(new). It also enables users to access tax and investment information through their mobile phones.

Dary McGovern, MD, Sensatus, said: “We have been working closely with private investors and the UK Shareholders Association during the development of timetotrade. In doing so, it quickly became apparent that a solution was needed that would help investors quickly determine their tax liability. Using timetotrade, investors can now do this.”

US-based Alltel Wireless has launched the SalesNOW, a contact and deal management software designed for the BlackBerry and the web.        

According to the company, the SalesNOW application allows the professionals to track and manage their contacts, deals, activities and e-mails as well as access and share information with their entire sales team. Customers can perform these activities on their BlackBerry or on the web through an individual, secure SalesNOW account.

The company also claimed that the changes made by the user within SalesNOW on the BlackBerry are automatically synced to SalesNOW on the web and vice versa. The application also allows sales teams to provide up-to-date information on sales activity, view and print weekly activity reports, collaborate on team forecasts, track sale details and next steps on business deals.

“SalesNOW allows our small business customers to better manage their workload no matter where they are,” said David Maddox, director of advanced data solutions at Alltel Wireless. “This innovative solution is the ultimate sales tool for the mobile professional and demonstrates Alltel’s commitment to deliver the most beneficial business applications available today.”

The software is available for $25 per month for individual users and for $40 per month for enterprise users with qualifying smart choice data plan on all Alltel Wireless BlackBerry smartphones.

Alltel recently launched several products to assist its customers in their daily tasks, which includes Alltel WiFi and TimecardGPS. TimecardGPS, launched in December 2007, is an application that enables users to track an employee’s location, record shift time and capture job or work order information from location based services (LBS) enabled wireless phones.