[Kde-pim] Fwd: Google SoC Project Idea: Kontact Exchange

[Michael S. Mikowski]

On Tuesday 06 March 2007, Sheldon Cumming wrote:
> > However it is implemented, this would be great for SOC.  At our
> > shop, where many of our developers use KDE, this would be a real
> > boon. Perhaps the greatest impetus to convert to Gnome is the
> > reality that Evolution doesn't really run to well under KDE.  And
> > we have to use an Exchange for corporate messaging :(
>
> What about Outlook Web Access? Does that work with linux browsers at
> all? I haven't tried.

In reality, it works, but it sucks.

> I hope I don't sound like a pessimist, I would like to see this work
> happen, (potentially the greatest thing since sliced bread) but I
> think that it likely wouldn't be completed within a summer,
> especially with the changes happening to the PIM framework.

I defer to developers on that one.  I'm only posting from the point of 
view of a KDE user that currently uses Kontact with Exchange, warts and 
all.  I never use web access because it is too slow.  I sometimes use 
RDP for scheduling, but it is a hassle as it lacks integration to the 
rest of KDE (e.g. cut-n-paste, drag-n-drop attachments, etc).

> You'll have goalposts that Microsoft can move with the protocol at
> any time, (2007 seems to be the year they're releasing all the fancy
> new stuff) and you'll also have to fit within whatever happens to
> akonadi.
>
> Also, what is the use case for this work? The maverick linux user in
> a microsoft shop? 

We have dozens of people in our department that run Linux as their 
primary desktop, and our company runs many hundreds of Linux servers.  
The developers really benefit from a Linux desktop, since that is our 
target platform.  I think better KDE-Exchange interaction is compelling 
for our entire department, not just one or two "mavericks."  This might 
be true in many companies, where one or more departments want to run 
Linux desktops for very good reasons.

> Sure, I guess KDE 4 will work on Windows as well, 
> but if you're running windows then IT has probably put outlook on
> your machine already. If IT has already made a choice for exchange,
> then you'll probably run into a lot of fun ActiveX enabled pages,
> etc, etc, likely the tip of the iceberg.

Almost no one in our product groups uses IE - its all FireFox, 
Konqueror, and Safari, and this includes perhaps 10 business users.  
Also, have you noticed the move away from WMP for online video in favor 
of Flash?  Or away from ActiveX controls for business graphing on the 
web?  Really, this one of the few remaining frustration points for our 
group -- and perhaps many others -- in using KDE on the desktop.

Of course, I'd love to exchange Exchange.  But I can't change everything 
in this world...

> Great to have for sure, but it will be a challenge. As long as the
> SoCer knows they may be hacking at it for a while, well, the more the
> merrier :)

Thanks Sheldon.  Hope this is useful.

-- 
Mike
www.dynaorg.com
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