| End-user computing on the desktop is perhaps the most eagerly examined part of the open source stack. Thousands of megabytes of Internet bandwidth have been spent discussing the relative merits of the various options available, along with when and if they will be ready to replace the domination of Microsoft Windows and its Office suite. The good news is that they are. The bad news is that, as with other solutions in the open source space, caveats apply. A large body of software exists in this space. Here, we will focus on the major areas that are of immediate use to the enterprise. In some cases, multiple open source alternatives to proprietary desktop applications are available. We evaluate and recommend alternatives based on attributes of value to an enterprise: ease of use, consistency, a well-defined migration path from vendor alternatives, and continuing interoperability with popular Office document formats. We also focus on five primary user segments:
Fixed function Users who run only one application on the desktop and use the desktop only for that application.
Technical workstation Users who run industry-specific desktop applications, and don't care about the operating system or windowing environment being used to run the application. They might use the desktop for basic email and web browsing as well as for instant messaging.
Transactional worker Users who run several structured or forms-based web applications as their primary interaction with the desktop. They also use email and a web browser. Once again, the choice of operating system and windowing environment is secondary to the user experience.
Basic office Users who rely on the desktop to implement business processes and for productivity applications (primarily word processors, spreadsheets, and presentation software). These are not power users, but they do collaborate extensively with users in other departments of the organization and with other organizations that are using interoperable document formats (the Microsoft Office suite, for example).
General purpose Users who depend on the desktop for various Windows applications and are tied strongly to Microsoft Office formats.
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