Looks like Google is finally going to release some of their apps for Linux. Sorta. Instead of coming out with native Linux versions of their apps, Google’s going to have CodeWeavers package Google’s apps with WINE:
Google and CodeWeavers Inc. are working together to bring Google’s popular Windows Picasa photo editing and sharing program to Linux. The program is now in a limited beta test. If this program is successful, other Google applications will be following it to the Linux desktop, sources say.
The Linux Picasa implementation includes the full feature set of the Windows Picasa 2.x software. It is not, strictly speaking, a port of Picasa to Linux. Instead, Linux Picasa combines Windows Picasa code and Wine technology to run Windows Picasa on Linux. This, however, will be transparent to Linux users, when they download, install, and run the free program on their systems.
So my question is: didn’t Google learn from Corel’s mistakes? Corel already tried this path, packaging the Word Perfect Office 2000 suite with custom WINE binaries for use in Linux. WPO2000 for Linux sucked ass (I was on the beta test team, so I got to see just how badly it sucked first-hand). Will Picasa for Linux be any better?
I’m not holding my breath. and I’m not letting go of digiKam anytime soon.
