The role of transitional FOSS in migrating to Linux

[blastus]

I'm convinced that, for most people, one of the many prerequisites to a conversion to Linux is a conversion to transitional FOSS like Firefox, Thunderbird, and OpenOffice.org.

The fact that these applications are familiar and functionally identical on both Windows and Linux helped break my dependence on Windows. Also the fact that it is fairly easy to migrate data from these applications (like Firefox bookmarks and Thunderbird emails) from Windows to Linux (and vice versa), increased my confidence in Linux as a viable platform.

What are everyone's thoughts on this?

[matthew]

Prerequisite might be too strong of a word, but they certainly make a huge difference for the majority of people.

[23meg]

Agreed, but they can also lead to users giving up on Linux because some of these apps may not work as well as they do in Windows under Linux for many configurations. Firefox may be more sluggish due to non-native widgets and lack of 2d hardware acceleration, OOo may start slower, etc. Picky users who are looking for every opportunity to put Linux to shame may take these excuses and go back.

They may also encourage laziness and keep users from doing research to find better open-source only alternatives.