14 DAY TRIAL // The German city of Munich is considering giving up on Linux and switching back to Windows after ten years of using the open-source platform on all staff computers.
As we reported to you a few hours ago, city officials claim that productivity was dramatically affected after moving from Windows to Linux and professional personnel had to be hired in order to take care of computers running the open-source operating system.
In the end, it all proved to be a more expensive choice, but new reports published in German media disclose more about the details behind this change of heart.
As The Register reports today, citing an article published in German newspaper Süddeutsche, workers whose computers were moved from Windows to Linux had a hard time getting used to the new apps and missed functionality offered by some programs running on Microsoft’s operating system.
The aforementioned source mentions the lack of integrated apps for managing contacts and calendar entries, but also of an email client as one of the reasons LiMux might be replaced with another operating system in the near future.
While this sounds a little bit weird especially if it’s coming from an IT expert because Linux does come with such apps, Windows 8 is now considered a much better choice thanks to the Modern tools that are pre-installed by default. Windows 8 has a built-in Mail app, as well as dedicated solutions to manage contacts and appointments, all in the Modern UI, which is fully optimized for the touch.
At the same time, those who purchase a Surface tablet powered by Windows RT, be it a Surface RT or a Surface 2, also receive Microsoft Office 2013 free of charge, with the Outlook email client also included in the package.
The proposal to switch to another operating system comes from deputy mayor Josef Schmid and it doesn’t necessarily mean that Windows is their platform of choice. The city council however is planning to create a panel of experts that would analyze the way productivity has been impacted by the switch to Linux and Schmid said that in case the recommendation was to go back to Windows, he would fully agree with it.
Of course, Microsoft must be delighted with such news, especially because the former CEO Steve Ballmer himself tried to convince the city of Munich to stay on Windows. Ballmer personally travelled to Munich in 2004 to discuss with city authorities their plan to switch to an open-source platform and give up on Microsoft software entirely.