Open Source Reality Check: "Want to be a hit at the next Linux-related conference? It's easy. Any time anything goes wrong, blame Microsoft. Everyone within earshot will be in hysterics -- every single time. For instance, if you see someone's computer crash, shout, 'Hey, is that a Windows machine?' If someone trips while walking, say, 'Are those sneakers running on NT?'" Jay Greenspan calls for the open source community to stop dismissing Microsoft and focus on what it can learn from them -- specifically, open source must deliver better developer tools to compete with VisualStudio and the pull to Windows. Speaking of which, Boland's Kylix looks intriguing:
The Kylix programming model is identical to Visual Basic's event-driven visual programming model. As a result, Visual Basic programmers will instantly become as productive on Linux as they are on Windows. No other Linux development tool combines the development tools VB developers have become accustomed to, including an intuitive visual designer, interactive debugger and native-code compiler, fine-tuned for the development of web, database and desktop applications.