[CLUE-Tech] Linux for publishing and the masses

[Joe Linux]

One alternative maybe to just bite the bullet and use WordPerfect with 
"win4lin."  As for the GIMP, it's just great!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LinuxArt

Link not for those under 18.

Michael Riversong wrote:

> OK, since i have some publishing experience, here's a few thoughts.  
> Like anything else, it depends on what you're trying to do.  There are 
> many degrees of technology in the publishing world.  That said, Linux 
> does have some excellent tools right out of the box in many distros.
>
> By far one of the best tools is GIMP, which comes free with every 
> distro i've loaded so far.  It's awesome, although often overlooked.  
> You literally can do anything graphically with it, with a few 
> exceptions regarding file conversion.  Here's the kicker -- i've even 
> managed to get first and second graders working with it in a few 
> instances!  So that alone demonstrates its versatility.  (Normally i 
> would not have done that, but in our first year with the program at 
> our school, we were woefully short of good PC graphics programs and 
> computers with the capability to run them.  I decided to put a couple 
> of artistic kids on GIMP and see what happened -- was pleasantly 
> surprised by the results.)
>
> Now, as for word processing and DTP, the tools are a little less 
> friendly.  I like AbiWord, which comes with some of the newer distros, 
> but it's not really good at placing graphics with text.  Its text 
> conversions work smoothly.  I haven't found other freebie tools yet 
> that will do a good job of placing graphics, and certainly nothing of 
> the caliber of Pagemaker.  In this area, i want to do some more 
> research.  There could very well be something available that works 
> well, and that i don't know about yet.  Maybe it's further down in 
> this thread...
>
> On Tuesday, June 10, 2003, at 03:02 PM, Dale K. Hawkins wrote:
>
>>
>> A friend sent me this.  I would be interested to hear people's
>> opinions.  Especially if anyone has any real publishing experience.
>> (I replied with what I know about Linux, but being a programmer, I
>> could not imagine using any other OS).
>>
>>> My 82-year old father sent the following fax to his children
>>> today:
>>>
>>> "I want to get some answers about Linux. The attached WSJ piece
>>> ... references its supporting graphics. And note its selection to
>>> run the 14,000 PCs in Munich. Could Linux help us get rid of Bill
>>> Gates once and for all?"
>>>
>>> My father's publishing (i.e., graphics-intensive) business is
>>> small (maybe 12 PCs?) and has no on-site IT support. He's not
>>> particularly technical, although he's an early adapter (he bought
>>> a Beta Max and a KayPro CPM machine).
>>
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>> -Dale
>> _______________________________________________
>> CLUE-Tech mailing list
>> Post messages to: CLUE-Tech at clue.denver.co.us
>> Unsubscribe or manage your options: 
>> http://clue.denver.co.us/mailman/listinfo/clue-tech
>>
>>
> Michael Riversong
> http://home.earthlink.net/~mriversong
> The Pure River Project: featuring free Celtic harp and other gentle 
> MP3s and radical ideas about music and culture
>
> _______________________________________________
> CLUE-Tech mailing list
> Post messages to: CLUE-Tech at clue.denver.co.us
> Unsubscribe or manage your options: 
> http://clue.denver.co.us/mailman/listinfo/clue-tech
>