2 hours on the phone and I am completely angry.

I going to switch to Unix and start to investigate the easy of switching over our systems.

This is the criteria it must fill.

1) Give an enviroment similiar to microsoft garbage.

2) support current apps of dreamweaver, adobe premier and photoshop. Audio dub and probably more.

1) kde or gnome have very much rejoined windows on that ground.
I'd say that kde is even a bit further (and that's why I don't use it)
2) You are going to be disappointed... There is no equivalent of dreamweavers apps on linux. At least, not native.
You could try to make them run through wine (A window like emulation layer that make windows apps believe they run on windows, and try to redirect windows system calls to linux system calls), but it may be erratic.

Look here for compatibility reports:
Dreamweaver : http://appdb.winehq.org/appview.php?iVersionId=1054
premier : http://appdb.winehq.org/appview.php?iVersionId=3644
photoshop : http://appdb.winehq.org/appview.php?iAppId=17


What I could suggest you, if you really want to go away from microsoft os is to run a linux install, but with a virtualisation software (like vmware, or qemu)
I used to run windows soft from linux workstation that way. At least, you can keep your windows image read only, and have it to stay the way it was at install time...

But from what you seems to search, I'm afraid linux is just not ready for what you need.

Originally Posted by tripy

1) kde or gnome have very much rejoined windows on that ground.
I'd say that kde is even a bit further (and that's why I don't use it)
2) You are going to be disappointed... There is no equivalent of dreamweavers apps on linux. At least, not native.
You could try to make them run through wine (A window like emulation layer that make windows apps believe they run on windows, and try to redirect windows system calls to linux system calls), but it may be erratic.

Look here for compatibility reports:
Dreamweaver : http://appdb.winehq.org/appview.php?iVersionId=1054
premier : http://appdb.winehq.org/appview.php?iVersionId=3644
photoshop : http://appdb.winehq.org/appview.php?iAppId=17


What I could suggest you, if you really want to go away from microsoft os is to run a linux install, but with a virtualisation software (like vmware, or qemu)
I used to run windows soft from linux workstation that way. At least, you can keep your windows image read only, and have it to stay the way it was at install time...

But from what you seems to search, I'm afraid linux is just not ready for what you need.

And here you have the answer why 20 years later...
I've still got to swallow microsoft's sh*t.

Linux tends to written by developers for developers.
No slack is cut for other users of computers.

Oh well....
Back to surfing ebay for a north american set of installation CDs

Linux is pretty generic.

It's ok for most users, doing a bit of word processing, reading emails, surfing the web, re-touching hollidays photos.

It can do a bit of many things, but when you want to go far in a specific field, you'd might need something more than a 3 peoples working on their free time to make something approaching enterprise class applications.

You can use nvu, or bluefish, but they are not dreamweaver.
You can use gimp, but it lacks cmyk support.
You can use cinelera, or kino, but their interface are different from premier, and they cannot load premier project nor plugins

Or you can switch to mac, osX having most of these tools, and you won't be on windows anymore.

Originally Posted by tripy

Linux is pretty generic.

It's ok for most users, doing a bit of word processing, reading emails, surfing the web, re-touching hollidays photos.

It can do a bit of many things, but when you want to go far in a specific field, you'd might need something more than a 3 peoples working on their free time to make something approaching enterprise class applications.

You can use nvu, or bluefish, but they are not dreamweaver.
You can use gimp, but it lacks cmyk support.
You can use cinelera, or kino, but their interface are different from premier, and they cannot load premier project nor plugins

Or you can switch to mac, osX having most of these tools, and you won't be on windows anymore.

Mac is the ultimate choice....
Hands down and no argument from me.

But the price !!!!
It's close to double for a system and for a small company that hurts.
Not to mention I have problems with,

1) clients because they don't have macs
2) Running the apps might be the same but the OS is different & need to have employees trained
3) We have custome software apps on some machines & the cost for a mac programer is prohibitive.

I really got to figure out how to do this roll back on vista machines.
I've already had windows upgrade cds sent to us. So it looks like microsoft is going to shove this OS down everyone's throat.

One last thing that comes to my mind....

My dad woks in a developping company, and they have switched their single workstation for everyone to opensource vmware server running virtual window for each developper.

It needs a big server to run every desktop, but it makes the local comp lighter, and I beleive vmware allow to make the os image read-only, and to allow only temporary modification, but that upon reboot, the system image is restored at it's last state.

It coul be a solution for you, given that you don't need dual core 4Ghz for each person (I think premier here...)
An virtualised and shared window virtual installation, that won't be deleted or upgraded without you knowing it.

Originally Posted by tripy

One last thing that comes to my mind....

My dad woks in a developping company, and they have switched their single workstation for everyone to opensource vmware server running virtual window for each developper.

It needs a big server to run every desktop, but it makes the local comp lighter, and I beleive vmware allow to make the os image read-only, and to allow only temporary modification, but that upon reboot, the system image is restored at it's last state.

It coul be a solution for you, given that you don't need dual core 4Ghz for each person (I think premier here...)
An virtualised and shared window virtual installation, that won't be deleted or upgraded without you knowing it.

Actually after tons and tons of investigation the solution to my probleme has been to switch who we purchase our software from and maintenance.

Sad fact is I was right.
You have to be careful buying software in france. Because at any point in time there are 2 versions of the same product. The french versions of the operating systems come with seperate special boot cds.

Fortunately the north american produced versions tend to be much more numerious. But unfortunately the french versions tend to be cheaper and the gouvernment gives me "kick backs" for buy french merchandise.

Well....
Live and learn.

I'm watching Ebay and for the CDs. I also think I'm going to cancel our maintenance package. Al they appear to do is quote stuff from books and scratch their cheeks. 9 times out of 10 I've got to come up with the solution on my own and it always costs me more money.