PREDICTIONS
Here are my fearless predictions for 1999! The Microsoft hype-machine will shift into high gear with the introduction of Office 2000 and the long promised Windows 2000 (f/k/a Windows NT 5). Corel will try to compete with a smaller advertising budget for the release of Corel 2000, its suite of office products. Use of Linux will continue to grow at a very rapid pace. Prices for the flat panel monitors continue to fall especially for the 19 and 21 inch models. 1998 will prove to be a banner year for e-commerce. E-commerce will continue to grow at triple digit rates in 1999 as more consumer sites come on-line. Look for business grade PCs to be in limited supplies the last half of the year when small businesses, government and schools make their purchases in response to Y2K. Speaking of the Y2K problem, look for even more press on it (if that is possible)!

LINUX
Long touted as the operating system of hobbyists, Linux has grown from 100,000 users in 1993 to over 7.5 million in 1998. Linux is the creation of Linux Torvalds who wrote the program kernel as a research project at the University of Helsinki, Finland.

Linux is a Unix based operating system that can be used for both servers and workstations running on an Intel processor. Often referred to as an open-code program, the source code is available on the Internet for free, or for a small fee when purchased on CD-ROM with a manual. Technical support is available via a world-wide network of programmers who post updates to the program on the Internet. User groups dedicated to Linux and a growing number of companies that provide support on a fee-basis.

Viewed as an alternative to Microsoft's Windows NT, Linux is in use by corporations such as Boeing, Cisco Systems, Compaq, Sony and the U.S. Postal Service as well as thousands of Internet service providers (ISP). Oracle and Informix have made plans to release versions of their database programs for Linux and Corel has announced that it will be releasing a Linux version of its products including WordPerfect.

There are a few significant drawbacks to using Linux. Prior knowledge of Unix is helpful as installation is cumbersome but getting better with the recent releases from Red Hat and Caldera. A graphical users interface (GUI) is needed at the workstation to give users the look and feel of Windows. The lack of support for Microsoft's Office suite is often cited as a major barrier to running Linux on the workstation.

Despite these drawbacks, look for Linux to continue to grow. The low purchase price, the increasing availability of application software plus being a very stable environment make it more and more attractive for the larger corporate and government sites.

WEB SITE OF THE MONTH
Only 365 days to go to Y2K! With hundreds of sites devoted to Y2K, where do you start? One good place to begin is Peter de Jager's site www.year2000.com. Peter is often credited for bringing Y2K to the public's attention with his September, 1993 article in ComputerWorld. For information a little closer to home, the State of Wisconsin has a Y2K site http://y2k.state.wi.us
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Technology Tidbits is published monthly by Jerry Price, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
© 1998 Jerry W. Price

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