[ale] Linux replacements for some M$-based junk

[Joe Knapka]

Hi folks,

I have a friend who wants to investigate converting his business to
open-source software. I believe I know of OSS replacements for most of
the software they use, with two exceptions:

(1) A horrid little Access-based app, upon which they are
very dependent, and for which no source, and little if
any support, is available;

(2) Peachtree Complete Accounting, which is a comprehensive
business accounting package.

I've never played with WINE, but it looks like this would be a good
time to start. I suspect I'll probably be able to get the Access
nastiness running under WINE, assuming Access runs under WINE at
all. I'm much less sanguine about Peachtree Complete, since it's a
large, complex app that may exercise little-known corners of the Win32
API, and they really can't afford to lose their accounting
data. (Which begs the question of why they're using Windows in the
first place, the answer to which is, of course, that no one ever told
them they didn't have to (until now)). Also, they have a subscription
to the Peachtree service that ships them new tax tables and so forth
on a regular basis. I suspect I may need to leave a Windows box around
just for this purpose, unless someone can suggest an alternative.

Anyhoo, any comments, suggestions, or advice
appreciated. Specifically, is there any good reason to go with one of
the commercial WINE distros like WINEX or CrossoverOffice vs. the
winehq release?

-- Joe Knapka